MODERN  CONFLICT 
rn/FRTHE  BIBLE 


THE  MODERN  CONFLICT 
OVER  THE  BIBLE 


THE  MODEEN  CONFLICT 
OVEE  THE  BIBLE 


BY 

G.  W.  kcPHERSON 

Volume  II. 


This  book  is  dedicathd  to  thb  Deitt  of  Oub  Lobd 

Jesub  Chkist  and  the  inspibation 

OF  the  Biblb 


YONKERS  BOOK:  COMPANY 

34  St.  Andrew's  Place 
yonkers,  n.  y. 


Copyright,  1919,  by 

G.  w.  Mcpherson 


PREFACE 

The  Author's  desire,  in  sending  forth  this 
book,  is  to  instruct  the  Christian  people  as  to  the 
conflicting  views  of  Modernism  and  the  Historic 
Faith;  and  to  expose  the  fallacies  of  the  former 
in  the  light  of  the  Sacred  Word.  This  volume 
comprises  a  comparative  presentation  of  what  is 
generally  called,  The  New  And  The  Old  Theology. 
By  its  study  the  plain  average  man,  as  well  as  the 
scholar,  is  helped  to  arrive  at  a  Scriptural  and 
historical  understanding  regarding  the  momen- 
tous questions  discussed. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VAOa 

I.    How  Could  God  Inspire  a  Book?    .     .  1 

II.    Evidence  from  Experience     ....  16 

III.  Scientific  Evidence 32 

IV.  Internal  Evidences 51 

V.    The  New  Theology  and  the  Death  of 

Christ 69 

VI.    Modernism  and  Eschatology  or  Things 

to  Come 101 

VII.    A    Rational    Study    of    the    Second 

Coming  of  Christ 118 

VIII.    Modernism  and  the  Resurrection  .     .  147 

IX.    The  New  Theology  and  the  Judgments  159 

X.    Modernism  and  the  Apostolic  Church  165 

XI.    The  Church  and  Its  Message  One      .  197 


xn 


CHAPTEE  I 
HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK? 

Isaiah's  Declaration 

It  was  IsraePs  greatest  prophet  who  said :  **The 
grass  withereth,  the  flower  f  adeth,  but  the  word  of 
our  God  shall  stand  forever''  (Isaiah).  With  fit- 
ting words  like  these,  revealing  the  imperishable 
character,  the  deathless  eternity  of  God's  Revela- 
tion to  men,  we  shall  proceed  to  discuss  in  this  and 
the  three  succeeding  chapters  the  inspiration  of 
the  Bible.  In  discussing  the  modern  conflict  we 
are  at  once  brought  face  to  face  with  the  question 
of  inspiration. 

A  Suggestive  Title 

The  title  of  this  chapter  may  sound , somewhat 
irreverent,  but  it  was  suggested  by  a  sermon  which 
a  student  in  a  New  Theology  seminary  delivered 
in  his  own  pulpit  on, '  *  The  Modern  Point  of  View 
of  Religion, ' '  in  which  he  declared  that  *  *  God  can- 
not inspire  a  book.  He  inspires  only  men."  We 
shall  challenge  the  truth  of  this  statement,  as  we 
hope  to  prove  its  absurdity,  and  make  clear  that 
the  aim  of  the  New  Theolo^  of  Modernism  is  to 


2       MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

foist  what  is  practically  a  new  religion  on  man- 
kind— not  **  after  the  pattern  made  in  the  Holy 
Mount/'  and  by  the  Crucified  Lord,  but  rather 
manufactured  by  infidels  in  the  universities  of 
Europe  and  America. 

The  Unity  of  Truth 

In  this  and  subsequent  chapters,  it  is  the  pur- 
pose to  make  clear  by  way  of  contrast  the  point 
of  view  of  Modernism  and  the  revelation  of  God 
as  disclosed  in  the  Bible,  to  present  fundamental 
Christian  Truth  in  contradistinction  to  Modern- 
ism, and  as  taught  in  many  of  our  churches  and 
universities  to-day.  There  can  be  no  break  in 
continuity,  rather  the  discussion  may  appear  to 
be  somewhat  narrowed,  more  concentrated  upon 
vital  matters  of  Truth,  and  thus  more  practical 
for  teacher  and  student. 

This  Discussion  is  Vital 

With  this  in  mind  the  way  is  clear  for  an  exami- 
nation of  the  inspiration  and  authority  of  the 
Bible.  Aside  from  the  definition  of  inspiration, 
which  shall  be  stated  presently,  we  are  largely 
dealing,  in  this  chapter,  in  generalities;  but  let 
it  not  be  supposed  that  this  is  of  small  moment. 
A  discussion  of  this  character  is  always  vital  and 
fundamental.  Indeed,  it  is  in  every  conceivable 
sense  the  one  question,  the  answer  to  which  must 
determine  all  other  matters  of  importance  in  the 
realm  of  Christianity. 


HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?        3 

Literalism  and  Obscubantism 

It  is  not  necessary  to  unduly  exalt  the  mechani- 
cal. No  one  is  asked  to  worship  a  book,  not  even 
the  Bible,  though  an  extreme  literalism  is  always 
more  safe  and  sane  than  the  vague  obscurantism 
of  the  New  Theology,  or  the  point  of  view  of  those 
who  would  negative  or  obscure  the  naked  facts 
of  the  Bible  by  a  false  method  of  interpretation. 

Bible  Books  Not  of  Equal  Value 

Neither  is  it  the  purpose  to  affirm  that  every 
book  in  the  Bible  is  of  equal  value,  or  that  every 
word  is  inspired.  The  Bible  is  broad  and  liberal, 
in  that  it  hears  all  parties,  gives  every  objector 
some  space,  even  giving  Satan  himself  a  hearing. 
Both  the  good  and  the  bad  have  spoken  to  men 
in  this  marvelous  Book.  The  Spirit  of  God  is 
more  wise  and  generous  than  the  wisest  jury,  more 
just  than  the  best  and  msest  of  men.  The  Book 
that  was  built  up  under  the  guiding  hand  of  un- 
erring Providence  has  a  place  in  its  history  for 
all  the  various  weaknesses  of  human  nature,  as, 
for  all  the  various  intelligencies  in  God's  great 
universe. 

Common  Objections 

Some  have  objected  to  parts  of  the  Bible  as 
being  unethical,  rough,  or  coarse.  *  *  Surely, ' '  they 
say,  *^ these  parts  are  not  inspired.''  Of  course 
it  hardly  need  be  stated  that  the  words  of  wicked 
men,  and  the  words  of  Satan,  as  recorded  in  the 


4       MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Scriptures,  were  not  matters  of  inspiration.  The 
Apostle  Peter  said  that  **holy  men  of  old  spake 
as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.''  (II  Pet. 
1:21.)  Here  is  inspiration.  But  those  who  made 
an  accurate  record  of  these  objectionable  parts, 
as  also  of  all  the  content  of  Scripture,  were  also 
inspired  to  give  to  the  world  the  true  history  of 
those  things  which  God  saw  is  good  for  men  to 
know.  Nothing  necessary  to  man's  moral  enlight- 
enment was  omitted.  In  this  we  find  striking 
proof  of  the  frankness,  openness — the  honesty  of 
the  Bible.  If  it  were  man's  Book  only,  these  parts 
would  be  omitted;  but  in  the  human  drama  of 
man's  sin,  and  in  the  great  Divine  drama  of  God's 
redemption  for  men,  we  should  expect  to  find  a 
true  statement  of  the  manifestation  of  moral  evil 
in  all  its  horrid  aspects.  So  the  writers  were  led 
of  God  to  make  the  record  plain,  as  were  the  com- 
pilers or  editors  to  make  these  writings  up  into 
a  book.  Doubtless,  all  this  was  included  in  the 
thought  of  the  Apostle  Paul  when  he  wrote  his 
illuminating  words:  **A11  Scripture  is  given  by 
inspiration  of  God"  (II  Tim.  3:16) — given 
originally  to  inspired  men,  and  later  preserved  in 
history  in  the  marvelous  volume  we  call  the  Bible. 

A  Subtle  Denial 

The  fact  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible  is 
wholly  or  partly  denied  or  shaded  down  to-day  by 
the  destructive  critic  in  such  a  fashion  that  the 
world's  great  Book  is,  in  some  respects,  placed 


HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?         5 

on  an  equality  with  some  other  sacred  books  of  the 
East;  while  some  of  the  critics  declare  that  our 
Bible  is,  at  least  in  parts,  inferior  to  those  other 
sacred  writings.  It  is  this,  with  other  conten- 
tions of  Modernism,  that  should  be  exposed  and 
refuted. 

Is  Faith  in  the  Bible  Indispensable? 

The  New  Theology  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that 
Jesus  Christ  would  triumph.  His  cause  forever 
flourish,  even  if  men  should  abandon  their  faith 
in  the  trustworthiness  and  inspiration  of  the  Bible. 
Of  course  it  will  not  weaken  the  force  of  the  Truth 
to  affirm  that  this  is  a  shallow  misrepresentation. 
How  can  such  a  claim  be  accepted  when  it  is  the 
Bible  alone  that  gives  the  only  account  of  Jesus 
Christ,  of  His  supernatural  and  miraculous  con- 
ception, His  nature,  teaching,  mission,  and  au- 
thority over  men. 

Natural  Dr^isiONS 

The  name  Bible  signifies  **the  book,''  and  was 
applied  for  the  first  time  by  Chrysostom  in  the 
fourth  century  to  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  which  up  to  that  time  had  been  called 
the  *  ^  Scriptures. ' '  The  ancient  plural  has  been 
transformed  into  a  singular  noun  in  view  of  the 
recognized  unity  of  the  books  of  the  Bible,  and 
which  is  thus  called.  The  Book,  by  way  of  emi- 
nence. 

We  hardly  need  remind  ourselves  that  the  Bible 


6       MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

has  two  general  divisions,  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament,  and  that  both  were  written  under  the 
form  of  a  will  or  covenant  or  compact  between 
God  and  man. 

The  Old  Testament  was  divided  by  the  Jews  into 
three  parts,  the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the  Sacred 
Writings.  The  Law  comprised  the  five  books  of 
Moses,  the  Prophets  comprise  all  the  prophetic 
writings  from  Joshua  to  Malachi,  the  Sacred 
Writings,  or,  as  we  say,  the  Poetic,  or  better  still, 
the  Wisdom  Literature,  include  the  Book  of  Job, 
the  Psalms,  the  Proverbs,  Ruth,  and  Lamenta- 
tions, Ecclesiastes,  and  Esther. 

The  New  Testament  gives  us  the  only  original 
account  of  the  origin  and  spread  of  Christianity, 
and  is  made  up  of  twenty-seven  books,  only  one 
of  which  is  prophetic,  the  book  of  Revelation,  all 
the  others  being  biographical  and  epistolary,  com- 
prising the  life  of  Jesus  and  the  Apostles 's  letters 
to  the  churches. 

Inspiration  Defined 

Is  this  large  collection  named  the  Bible,  in- 
spired? To  this  the  Church  in  all  ages  has  given 
an  affirmative  answer,  and  we  have  ample  reason 
for  believing  that  the  Church  in  this  particular 
is  correct.  The  word  inspiration  occurs  only  twice 
in  all  the  Bible,  but  God  does  not  have  to  repeat 
Himself  in  order  to  confirm  His  Truth.  We  be- 
lieve that  the  spirit  of  inspiration  breathes  on 
every  page  and  illumines  every  truth  of  the  Bible. 


HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?        7 

The  word  inspiration  literally  means  to  breathe 
into,  to  infuse  Supernatural  life  or  ideas  into  the 
human  mind.  God  breathed  into  the  minds  of  the 
writers  of  the  Bible  its  ideas,  its  great  spiritual 
content,  and  that,  in  part,  is  what  we  mean  by  in- 
spiration. But  how  God  did  this,  how  He  pre- 
pared the  minds  of  the  writers  for  this  lofty  work 
so  that  there  was  perfect  harmony  between  the 
human  and  the  Divine,  we  do  not  know;  it  is  not 
necessary  that  we  should  know.  Of  course,  God 
did  not  write  the  Bible.  We  have  only  two  records 
of  where  Deity  wrote — God  wrote  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments and  Jesus  wrote  on  the  ground.  The 
Bible  was  written  by  man,  could  only  have  been 
written  by  man,  for  it  comes  to  us  clothed  in  the 
speech,  the  language  of  man ;  and  for  such  a  work 
man  must  have  been  prepared.  This  preparation 
is,  in  part,  what  we  mean  by  inspiration. 

How  God  Operated  Upon  Them 

How  God  did  this  work,  or  how  He  influenced 
or  operated  upon  the  writers,  we  do  not  know,  we 
may  only  speculate.  It  is  certain  that  God  did  not 
do  this  in  a  mechanical  way.  He  did  not  control 
the  writers  as  a  boy  controls  his  jumping  toys. 
In  this  holy  work  there  must  have  been  the  free- 
dom of  natural  expression  as  is  seen  by  the  dif- 
ferent individualities  of  the  writers.  *^  Moses, 
David,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Amos,  John,  Paul,  and 
others,  all  declare  that  God  spoke  to  them,  but 
they  do  not  tell  us  how  God  spoke,  or  how  He 


8       MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

operated  upon  them.  They  probably  did  not 
know. ' '  The  communication  of  life  in  the  physical 
and  spiritual  world  is  a  profound  secret.  Science 
cannot  help  us  here.  The  mystery  of  the  origin, 
or  the  creation  and  communication  of  life  is  still 
unknown  to  man.  We  need  not  remind  ourselves 
that  the  father  and  mother,  who  are  the  active 
agents  in  physical  creation,  do  not  understand  the 
divine  process  or  secret  of  imparting  life.  All 
they  know  is  that  life,  that  pearl  of  infinite  value, 
the  crown  of  God's  creation,  is  in  evidence,  and 
soon  they  begin  to  behold,  to  wonder,  and  to  love, 
while  their  hearts  are  enraptured  with  joy. 

It  Is  IN  Harmony  With  the  Laws  of  Life 

And  so  it  is  with  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible, 
for  life  is  there  also ;  there  is  a  holy  joy  that  thrills 
and  fills  the  heart  of  man  as  he  reads  and  appro- 
priates the  wonderful  truths  of  the  Bible.  As  he 
enters  into  this  holy  experience,  he  knows,  he  can- 
not tell  just  how  or  why,  but  he  knows,  for  he 
feels  the  touch  and  glow  in  his  own  heart  (it  is 
the  secret  of  spiritual  life)  that  holy  men  of  old 
wrote  as  they  were  moved  upon  by  the  Divine 
Spirit,  and  that  knowledge  satisfies.  It  is  the 
secret  of  life  responding  to  life,  to  a  higher,  a 
heavenly  life. 

The  Original  Manuscripts  were  Without  Error 

There  are  convincing  reasons  for  believing  that 

the  original  manuscripts  of  the  Bible  contained 


HOW  COULD  60D  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?         0 

no  error.  We  cannot  conceive  of  error  if  God  in- 
spired the  writers  to  give  these  truths  to  men.  It 
need  occasion  no  surprise  if  men  deny  and  reject 
this  great  fact,  for  it  is  natural  for  man  to  doubt 
and  to  assail  the  Bible,  especially  those  parts 
which  reveal  and  condemn  his  sin. 


The  Eeal  Purpose  of  the  Bible 

The  Bible  must  condemn  sin,  it  must  be  honest 
and  perfect  if  it  is  God's  Word.  The  fact  is  that 
this  Book,  like  aU  God's  work,  is  perfect,  that  is, 
it  completely  fulfills  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
given.  It  is  not  intended  to  be  simply  a  text-book 
on  science,  though  its  science  is  perfect,  it  is  a 
revelation  of  the  fact  of  Creation,  and  of  the 
Plan  of  Salvation,  fully  setting  forth  God's  mar- 
velous redemption;  and  in  all  these  respects  the 
Bible  is  the  perfect  Book  of  God. 

Further  Definition  of  Inspiration 

The  inspiration  of  the  Bible  is  clearly  dis- 
covered in  the  fact  that  God  revealed,  supervised, 
selected,  included  what  man  needs  to  know  regard- 
ing God's  Plan  of  redemption  and  His  Will  for 
man.  Some  of  these  elements  are  included  in  aU 
Scriptures,  and  all  in  some.  And  this  constitutes, 
also,  in  part,  what  we  call  inspiration.  The  pres- 
ence of  any  or  all  of  these  elements  furnishes  us 
with  uncontrovertible  proof  of  the  truth  of  the 
inspiration  of  the  Bible. 


10     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Momentous  Questions 

Perhaps  it  will  help  us  further,  in  answering  the 
matter  under  consideration,  if  we  present  a  series 
of  pertinent,  suggestive,  and  up-to-date  questions. 
It  is  believed  that  in  the  simple  presentation  of 
these  questions  may  be  seen  the  falsity  of  many 
of  the  theories  of  our  time  regarding  the  Bible. 
For  example:  What  is  meant  by  the  term  inspi- 
ration? Does  the  Bible  stand  alone,  unique  in 
character  and  power?  Is  it  possible  that  the 
Christian  world  for  millenniums  has  been  mis- 
taken regarding  the  Bible,  and  that  for  the  first 
time  the  truth  as  to  its  real  character  is  begin- 
ning to  shine  forth  in  the  twentieth  century?  Do 
the  views  men  hold  of  inspiration  sustain  an  im- 
portant relation  to  the  progress  of  Christianity, 
or  can  the  world  be  evangelized  by  those  who  view 
the  Bible  as  erroneous,  or  untrustworthy,  and  if 
so,  what  shall  be  the  message,  and  the  authority, 
and  how  shall  it  be  done  ?  If  the  Christian  people 
should  give  up  their  faith  in  the  Bible  as  a  Divine 
Revelation,  could  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  sur- 
vive? If  the  Bible  is  inspired  only  as  the  hymns 
of  Fannie  Crosby,  Isaac  Watts,  Charles  Wesley, 
and  other  pious  writers,  precisely  the  same  in 
character,  what  is  the  basis  of  authority  in  the 
Christian  Religion?  If  it  be  claimed  that  good 
men  are  the  basis  of  authority,  who  are  these  men, 
what  are  their  names,  where  do  they  live,  for  we 
should  like  to  know  them,  or  hear  them  teach,  or 
preach,  or  read  their  writings,  or  theology — to 


HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?       11 

study  them  at  close  quarters.  We  should  like  to 
know  whether  these  men  are  agreed  in  their  views, 
or  religious  opinions,  or  theologies,  and  if  they 
are  not  agreed,  whether  it  is  possible  to  believe 
that  men,  modern  men,  good  men,  are  the  true, 
the  real,  the  only  basis  of  authority  in  the  Chris- 
tian Religion?  The  discussion  throughout  all 
these  chapters  is  clustered  in  a  general  way, 
though  disconnectedly,  around  these  momentous 
questions. 

How  Jesus  Used  the  Bible 

It  is  well  to  note  carefully  in  this  study  how  the 
great  Teacher  used  the  Bible.  If  His  point  of 
view  can  be  fully  grasped,  surely  it  ^ill  be  an  easy 
matter  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, as  to  what  extent  it  is  an  authority  for 
us  to-day  in  matters  of  religion,  whether  it  is  as 
Isaiah  said,  **The  Word  of  God  that  shall  stand 
forever. '^  If  we  can  see  clearly  w^hat  was  the 
attitude  of  Jesus  to  the  Old  Testament,  this  whole 
question  will  be  rightly  settled.  With  this  knowl- 
edge we  can  affirm  that  not  only  do  we  believe  this 
Book  to  be  inspired,  but  we  can  truthfully  say 
that  we  know  the  Bible  to  be  inspired.  If  the 
example  of  Jesus  is  of  value  in  the  realm  of  con- 
duct, of  social  service,  as  the  New  Theology  advo- 
cate emphasizes,  surely  His  attitude  toward  the 
Old  Testament  is  also  of  great  value.  It  is  said 
that  it  takes  a  crisis  to  reveal  true  greatness. 
When  Jesus  faced  a  crisis,  what  did  He  do?    We 


12     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

find  that  He  instantly  made  use  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament.    If  He  did  not  have  time  to  pray,  He 
always  had  time  to  quote  Scripture.    Not  once  do 
we  find  Him  doing  what  the  wisest  of  men  some- 
times do,  namely — going  to  their  fellows  for  coun- 
sel, but,  over  and  over  again,  we  find  Him  fall- 
ing back  on  the  Old  Testament,  as  a  soldier  in 
action  resorts  to  his  cartridge  belt.    In  His  hours 
of  crisis  He  relied  supremely  upon  the  greatest 
power — the  Divine  resources.    God  to  Him  was  a 
great  Eeality,  and  God's  Word  was  final — the  end 
of  all  controversy.     The  Old  Testament,  as  we 
have  it  to-day,  was  the  text  book  of  Jesus.    When 
Satan  attacked  Him  at  the  opening  of  His  min- 
istry. He  did  not  fall  back  even  upon  His  own 
Supernatural  Eesources,  but  He  won  His  first 
great  victory  by  simply  declaring  in  a  childlike 
trust :  **It  is  written.''    Similarly  must  the  Chris- 
tian people  ever  win.    To  the  Son  of  God  the  Bible 
was  both  his  means  of  offense  and  defense ;  surely 
also  it  must  be  ours.    We  cannot  win  by  a  cow- 
ardly neutrality  and  compromise,  the  spirit  of 
complacency  and  partial  acquiescence  with  the 
enemies   of   Christianity,  but   rather  by   coura- 
geously  standing   for  the   Truth   as   did   Jesus 
Christ,  and  saying  in  a  simple  childlike  faith:  **It 
is  written." 

The  Great  Vision  for  Life 

The  hour  has  come  to  insist  on  a  more  perfect 
imitation  of  Jesus  in  the  use  we  make  of  the  Bible. 


HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?       13 

Ours  is  the  day  of  compromise  with  the  Truth. 
As  a  result  of  false  training  and  the  pride  of 
scholarship,  men,  in  order  to  insure  themselves 
an  economic  and  social  advantage,  are  betraying 
Jesus  Christ.  They  refuse  to  stand  strongly  with 
Him,  to  imitate  Him.  Questions  are  measured  in 
the  light  of  economic  gain,  while  the  great  Leader 
of  men  viewed  every  matter  in  the  light  of  reality. 
With  our  modern  compromisers  it  would  appear 
that  selfishness  is  running  rampant,  that  every 
question  has  a  semi-economic  and  materialistic 
basis.  But  with  Jesus  Christ  every  question  had 
a  moral  basis.  It  was  one  of  England  *s  noted 
writers,  possibly  Hume  or  Macaulay,  who  said 
that  if  it  were  to  the  interest  of  some  financial 
power  to  oppose  the  great  discovery  of  science, 
that  the  earth  rotates  on  its  axis  and  travels 
around  the  sun  once  a  year,  the  world  would  not 
yet  know  of  that  great  discovery.  The  French 
revolution  did  not  become  a  reality  until  a  heavy 
tax  was  imposed  on  the  landed  nobility.  A  com- 
munity may  enjoy  a  tranquil  life  until  the  taxes 
are  suddenly  raised.  The  problem  of  interna- 
tional as  of  individual  relations,  is  to  get  men  to 
view  matters  in  the  light  of  moral  realities  and 
values.  ^*A11  these  things  will  I  give  thee  if  thou 
wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me'*  (Matt.  4:9),  is 
the  basis  of  Satan's  appeal  to  Jesus.  He  sought 
for  the  selfish  economic  motive,  which  is  the 
motive  of  Hell,  while  the  moral,  the  spiritual  is 
the  Christ  motive — the  motive  of  God. 


14     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

The  Example  of  Jesus 

But  in  the  light  of  all  this  how  luminous  and 
inspiring  is  the  example  of  Jesus.  He  stood  like 
a  Majestic  Rock  in  the  midocean  of  life,  while  the 
storms  of  human  selfishness  and  sin  beat  furiously 
against  Him,  but  in  vain.  Four-square  He  stood 
for  justice,  holiness,  righteousness,  love,  and 
Truth.  His  was  the  glory  of  a  great  spiritual 
character  and  not  the  merely  material.  In  the  face 
of  a  selfish  world,  and  of  His  great  antagonist, 
Satan,  Jesus  Christ  delivered  His  famous  ultima- 
tum: *^It  is  written.'*  He  did  not  consider  it  to 
be  His  mission  to  criticize  or  pull  down  the  Old 
Testament.  He  was  not  a  vain,  religious  icono- 
clast, a  destructive  critic,  or  even  a  merely  higher 
critic,  though  Professor  Bade  presents  Him  in  a 
new  role  as  a  critic  of  the  Old  Testament.  But 
Jesus  replies  to  all  such  false  interpretation  of 
Himself  in  these  words:  ** Think  not  that  I  am 
come  to  destroy  the  law  or  the  prophets :  I  am  not 
come  to  destroy  but  to  fulfill. '*  (Matt.  5:17.)  He 
characterized  the  modern  destructive  critic  in 
these  words :  *  *  0  fools  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe 
all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken:  *  Ought  not 
Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things  and  to  enter 
into  His  glory  T  And  beginning  at  Moses  and  all 
the  prophets.  He  expounded  unto  them  in  all  the 
Scriptures  the  things  concerning  Himself." 
(Luke  24:25-27.)  As  Rev.  D.  S.  Stearns  has  well 
said,  in  speaking  of  the  value  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, **Now  here  you  must  make  your  choice.    If 


HOW  COULD  GOD  INSPIRE  A  BOOK?       15 

you  study  prophecy,  many  Christians  and  some 
ministers  will  say  you  are  foolish;  if  you  do  not 
study  the  prophets  and  believe  them,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  will  say  you  are  foolish.  Which  will 
you  choose?  I  would  a  thousand  times  rather  that 
all  the  ministers  I  know  called  me  foolish  .  .  . 
than  to  have  my  Saviour  call  me  foolish. ^ ^  (King- 
dom Tidings,  Feb.,  1919.) 

OuB  Pattekn 

Thus  we  have  seen  the  attitude  of  Jesus  to  the 
Old  Testament,  and  thus  have  we  discovered  our 
own  infallible  Pattern.  In  the  light  of  this  the 
Church  has  a  right  to  call  for  a  new  allegiance  to 
Jesus  Christ  and  to  the  inspired  Book,  which  He 
so  highly  honored,  not  because  it  is  the  Bible,  but 
because  it  is  to  man  the  most  precious  thing  in 
life,  the  Revelation  of  God  Himself.  Let  this, 
therefore,  be  our  ultimatum :  ' '  It  is  written ! '  ^  *  *  It 
is  written!*'  **It  is  written !'* 


CHAPTEE  II 

EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE 

In  subsequent  chapters  we  shall  discuss  the 
Bcientific  and  internal  evidences  of  the  inspiration 
of  the  Bible.  Here  we  shall  consider  evidence 
from  experience. 

Ample  Eeasons 

There  are  ample  reasons  for  believing  the  Bible 
to  be  inspired,  reasons  that  can  satisfy  both  mind 
and  heart.  We  have  no  right  to  ask  men  to  accept 
the  Bible  as  God^s  Word  without  furnishing  them 
with  ample  reasons  for  their  acceptance.  While 
it  is  not  reason  but  faith  that  brings  us  in  contact 
with  God,  yet  Christianity  appeals  powerfully  to 
reason.  Sublime  indeed  in  their  marvelous  con- 
descension are  the  words,  **Come  now  and  let  us 
reason  together,  saith  the  Lord,  though  your  sins 
be  as  scarlet  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow.'' 
(Isa.  1 :18.)  Here  is  the  Supreme  Eeason  inviting 
men  to  reason  with  Him  over  the  mystery  of  the 
Atonement  and  forgiveness,  how  God  can  be  just 
and  yet  acquit  the  guilty  who  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ.  The  glory  and  mystery  of  the  Atonement 
is  seen  in  the  fact  that  God  can  make  red  sins  and 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  17 

black  sins  white  as  snow,  that  is,  He  can  make 
man  as  sinless  before  God  as  if  he  had  never 
sinned.  It  requires  the  Divine  Reason  to  make 
clear  to  men  this  marvelous  revelation  of  God's 
forgiving  love.  Instead  of  rejecting  the  Atone- 
ment, let  men  come  and  reason  it  over  with  God, 
who  alone  fully  understands  its  sublime  signifi- 
cance. 

If  God  could  get  men  to  stop  and  think 
earnestly,  mth  honest  desire,  to  reason  with  their 
minds  and  hearts,  and  to  ask  God  questions,  while 
conscious  of  their  own  limitations,  they  would 
soon  wake  up  in  the  surprise  and  joy  of  the  new 
life;  they  would  soon  submit  to  God,  to  His  pro- 
gramme for  mankind;  they  would  soon  love  God. 
If  we  could  persuade  men  to  read  and  carefully 
study  the  Bible,  and  put  it  to  the  test,  it  would 
not  be  long  before  they  would  crowTi  Jesus  Christ 
Lord  of  all.  It  is  the  false  and  indolent  reason- 
ing of  men  that  keeps  them  from  knowing  the 
loving  God  of  the  Bible.  When  we  hear  men  talk 
against  the  Bible,  we  may  make  up  our  minds 
that  there  is  something  wrong,  unlovely,  some- 
thing unreasonable  in  them.  **For  every  one  that 
doeth  evil  hateth  the  light,  neither  cometh  to  the 
light,  lest  his  deeds  should  be  reproved.** 
(John  3:20.) 

We  have  ample  reasons  for  accepting  the  Bible 
as  the  inspired  Word  of  God,  not  reasons  that  will 
satisfy  the  abnormal  critic,  but,  that  the  honest, 
average  mind,  open  to  the  Truth  will  see  clearly 


18     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

and  readily  accept.  We  should  like  to  reach  many 
of  the  university  men  with  these  messages,  but 
we  are  also  concerned  over  the  rank  and  file,  the 
great  bulk  of  the  ordinary  folk  that  make  up  the 
churches  in  America.  Our  greatest  desire  is  to 
indoctrinate  the  young  men  and  women  of  our 
country  within  and  without  the  university  in  the 
fundamental  doctrines  of  Christianity.  Already 
the  ** Modern  Conflict  Over  the  Bible''  has 
reached  not  a  few  of  our  college  and  seminary 
men,  with  the  result  that  some  of  these  have  sepa- 
rated themselves  from  certain  influences  and  edu- 
cational institutions.  The  grand  old  Truth  can 
win  even  the  modern  materialistic  evolutionist  and 
rationalist,  and  destructive  critic  of  the  Bible.  Our 
object,  however,  is  to  help  all  classes — the  mer- 
chant, the  clerk,  the  mechanic,  the  farmer,  the 
servant  man  and  woman  in  every  sphere,  the  man 
who  sweeps  the  streets,  the  sailor  and  the  soldier, 
and  even  the  outcast  from  society.  We  want  these 
great  truths  about  the  Bible  to  be  read  and  known 
by  men  everywhere,  for  these  truths  when  prac- 
ticed can  make  us  noble  and  true,  for  they  uncover 
to  us  the  loving  suffering  heart  of  God. 

It  is  to  this  end  that  we  are  eschewing  loud- 
sounding,  technical,  scholastic  terms,  and  clothing 
our  thought  in  the  simple  plain  language  of  the 
average  man.  We  love  the  plain  English — the 
language  of  Bunyan,  Wesley,  Bright,  Spurgeon, 
Broadus  and  Moody.  Let  these  truths  about  God 
be  spoken  simply,  plainly. 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  19 

Experience  Reveals  It 

The  first  proposition  we  would  submit  is  that 
experience  proves  the  Bible  to  be  inspired.  ■ 

The  Bible  message  finds  us,  shows  us  the  kind 
of  men  we  are,  furnishes  us  with  a  true  photo- 
graph of  the  human  heart,  finds  us  on  the  lowest 
levels  of  life,  and  on  the  highest  levels,  and  tells 
us  in  the  most  direct  and  unvarnished  way  what 
we  are,  and  what  we  ought  to  be.  There  is  no 
escaping  the  revelation  of  our  own  innermost  life, 
when  we  read  the  Bible.  No  book  shows  man  his 
sin  as  does  the  Bible.  It  does  not  cover  up  the 
sins  of  the  learned  and  the  rich,  those  in  high 
places.  In  the  Bible,  the  king  and  the  beggar  are 
on  the  same  level  before  God.  The  Bible  did  not 
cover  up  Jacob's  dishonesty,  Cain's  murder, 
David's  immorality,  Peter's  lying  and  blasphemy, 
and  Saul  of  Tarsus  whose  hands  were  red  with 
the  blood  of  the  martyrs.  If  the  Bible  were  man's 
book,  it  would  never  give  us  a  record  of  the  sins 
of  its  own  writers.  Some  of  the  authors  were 
once  high-handed  sinners,  but  grace  cleansed 
them.  We  call  this  experimental  evidence,  be- 
cause it  is  discovered  in  the  moral  and  spiritual 
life  of  those  who  wrote  and  also  those  who  study 
the  Bible  and  translate  its  principles  into  life. 

The  Love  of  God  and  Mother's  Love 

No  other  book  reads  like  the  Bible ;  it  reads  like 
a  book  that  God  Himself  would  produce  through 


20     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

consecrated,  spirit-filled  lives.  Everything  is  done 
in  the  open  and  above  board  in  this  book.  Jesus 
said,  **  Therefore,  whatsoever  ye  have  spoken  in 
darkness  shall  be  heard  in  the  light;  and  that 
which  ye  have  spoken  in  the  ear  in  closets  shall 
be  proclaimed  upon  the  housetops.''  (Luke 
12:3.)  There  are  no  secret  treaties,  or  obliga- 
tions endorsed  in  the  Book  of  God.  And  this  is 
God's  plan,  and  the  Bible  rings  true  to  this  frank 
open  method  throughout.  There  is  a  moral  and 
spiritual  tone  in  this  Book  that  cannot  be  ap- 
proached in  any  literature.  The  nearest  approach 
to  the  Bible,  in  this  respect,  is  the  letter  a  loving 
mother  would  write  to  her  child  far  from  home. 
There  is  a  heart  note,  a  fatherly,  a  motherly  note 
in  the  Bible.  The  writer  is  reminded  of  what  a 
friend  said  after  his  return  from  Palestine. 
**Were  you  lonely  over  there?"  ** Nearly  died 
from  it,"  was  his  reply.  *'I  longed  to  get  a  letter 
from  my  mother.  At  last  it  arrived  in  a  batch 
of  letters.  The  first  one  I  opened  was  from 
mother,  and  I  did  not  have  to  look  at  the  signa- 
ture to  know  that  it  was  her  letter.  It  sounded 
like  mother  from  the  start,  and  I  knew  it  was  her 
letter."  The  illustration  is  faulty,  but  it  may 
suggest  that  which  we  are  trying  to  make  clear 
about  the  Bible.  It  speaks  like  God,  loves  like 
God,  and  sounds  throughout  like  God,  from  its 
opening  declaration  of  Creation  to  its  consumma- 
tion of  a  redeemed,  a  sinless,  and  Immortal 
Humanity.    These  facts  might  be  interpreted  as 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  21 

external  evidence,  but  we  prefer  to  make  a  dis- 
tinction and  class  as  evidence  from  experience 
the  varied  spiritual  experiences  of  men  as  they 
are  influenced  by  the  Bible. 

The  Bible,  the  Koran  and  Eastern  Faiths 

The  Bible  produces  the  highest  type  of  char- 
acter, and  different  from  any  other  type  of 
character  to  be  found  in  aU  the  world.  The 
Koran  produces  a  devout  but  withal  a  re- 
vengeful, persecuting  type.  The  sacred  books 
of  India  cannot  produce  the  lowly,  humble, 
loving  Christian  type.  The  fruit  of  these 
religions  is  in  part  moral  improvement,  but 
it  is  characterized  largely  by  superstition.  True, 
the  East  has  its  philosophers  and  reformers, 
but  that  is  about  all  it  has.  The  latter,  how- 
ever, are  largely  an  imitation  of  Western  ideas 
and  propaganda.  The  non-Christian  faiths  could 
not  give  to  the  world  a  Savonarola  or  a  Luther. 
The  disciples  of  the  Eastern  religions  are  char- 
acterized in  part  by  moral  growth  and  aspira- 
tion, but  also  superstition,  though  some  are  de- 
vout and  earnest  seekers  after  the  true  God.  But 
the  non-Christian  faiths  cannot  produce  a  Paul 
or  a  Moody,  or  even  an  inferior  type  of  Christian 
character.  The  Christ-type  is  distinct  from  all 
others. 

The  Christian  nations,  notwithstanding  their 
faults,  are  the  enlightened,  the  optimistic,  aggres- 
sive, the  dominant  people  of  the  earth,    Educa- 


?2     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

tion,  philanthropy  and  material  prosperity  are 
complements  of  true  Christianity.  Wherever 
there  is  an  open  Bible,  progress  is  in  evidence. 
The  advance  of  mankind  in  all  that  is  highest  and 
best  can  be  traced  directly  to  the  influence  of  the 
Bible.  This  fact  stands  out  unchallenged  and 
irrefutable.  This  is  one  of  the  strong  grounds 
of  appeal  to  men  everywhere  to  become  Chris- 
tians. 

The  Classic  of  Christian  Experience 

The  individual  experience  of  men  and  women, 
the  conscious  joy,  rest  and  peace  in  their  own 
hearts,  furnish  us  with  infallible  proof  of  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Bible.  Here  the  Christian  con- 
sciousness is  eloquent  and  irrepressible.  No 
argument  from  science  or  philosophy  can  justly 
contradict  this  kind  of  knowledge  nor  over- 
throw it. 

The  blind  man  to  whom  Jesus  gave  his  sight 
has  aptly  put  it  in  words  that  have  become  a 
classic  in  Christian  testimony.  *'This  one  thing 
I  know  that  whereas  I  was  blind  now  I  see.'' 
Infidelity  may  heap  up  arguments  to  the  sun  but 
cannot  refute  this  evidence. 

How  THE  Writer  Discovered  It 

It  was  by  the  gateway  of  experience  that  the 
author  of  this  message  became  acquainted  with 
God's  Book.    In  my  early  life,  while  I  did  not 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  23 

talk  it  out,  yet  I  was  exceedingly  skeptical.  I  had 
heard  Christians  tell  of  their  experiences,  but  was 
rather  inclined  to  doubt  it,  and  to  believe  that 
their  experiences  could  be  accounted  for  on 
psychological  grounds,  that  there  was  no  Super- 
natural element  in  them,  that  if  there  is  a  God, 
He  does  not  come  to  men  slowly,  nor  suddenly, 
nor  from  without,  or  in  any  special  way  aside 
from  the  natural,  ordinary  way  of  imparting 
knowledge,  namely:  by  education.  I  wondered 
whether  a  certain  kind  of  education  did  not  ex- 
plain it  all — ^in  short,  whether  the  glowing  expe- 
riences I  had  heard  folks  tell  were  not  largely, 
if  not  wholly,  imaginary,  the  product  of  self- 
hypnotism. 

I  was  inclined  to  believe  that  the  Creative 
Power  had  put  in  nature  those  elements  that  make 
up  or  develop  what  we  call  religious  experience, 
and  that  man  by  the  gradual  process  of  natural 
growth,  or  what  is  kno^\^l  to-day  as  evolution,  and 
by  response  to  religious  instincts  and  environ- 
ment comes  into  possession  of  a  religious  con- 
sciousness, or  experience,  just  as  by  proper 
physical  exercise  he  comes  into  the  possession  of 
muscle. 

In  those  early  days,  before  I  had  any  knowledge 
of  atheistic  evolution,  and  rationalistic  philos- 
ophy generally,  I  was  unconsciously  a  sort  of 
evolutionist  and  pantheist,  a  New  Theology 
doubter  and  speculator,  though  I  did  not  know 
it.    Later,  however,  as  result  of  higher  knowledge, 


24     MODERN  OONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

I  learned  that  my  conception  was  a  dangerous 
deception,  as  was  proven  by  the  new  Christian 
experience  which  had  become  mine  and  which  I 
had  doubted  in  the  lives  of  others. 

In  the  light  of  this  new  experience  I  discovered 
myself,  my  alienation  from  God,  that  sin  had 
darkened  my  moral  perceptions  and  judgment, 
that  I  was  a  **nice  nasty  moralist,"  a  bewildered 
evolutionist,  a  rationalistic  nebula,  ignorant  and 
self-righteous,  in  short,  an  unsaved,  unreconciled 
soul,  with  no  satisfying  knowledge  of  the  true 
*  *  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world. ' ' 

But  how  did  all  this  come  to  pass?  I  will  ex- 
plain. I  decided  to  deal  fairly  with  Jesus  Christ 
and  test  Him  in  an  honest  manner.  I  did  not 
doubt  that  Jesus  was  a  historical  character.  I 
set  about  to  test  Christ  and  His  principles  as  we 
would  labor  to  prove  a  mathematical  question,  or 
in  some  such  intellectual,  calculating,  scientific 
way. 

I  began  a  study  of  the  Gospels.  I  found  that 
Jesus  had  made  certain  claims,  declaring  that 
He  came  from  God,  was  the  unique  Son  of  God, 
and  had  come  to  redeem  mankind — *Ho  give  His 
life  as  a  ransom  for  many.''  (Matt.  20:28.)  He 
affirmed  that  if  men  would  do  certain  things  they 
would  get  certain  results.  He  said:  **Ask  and  it 
shall  be  given  you,"  etc.  He  invited  men  to  prove 
God,  and  to  see  if  He  was  not  a  teacher  come  from 
God.  He  declared  that  His  Messiahship  was 
demonstrable,  that  men  could  find  out  whether 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  25 

He  was  what  He  claimed  to  be,  and  could  do  for 
them  what  He  claimed  He  could  do.  This  ap- 
pealed strongly  to  me  as  eminently  reasonable 
and  fair,  so  I  set  about  to  put  Jesus  Christ  to 
an  honest  test. 

Jesus  said,  pray  and  we  would  receive,  find, 
and  make  the  great  discovery  of  God,  using  His 
name  in  our  petitions.  He  declared  that  God  is 
a  Royal  Benefactor,  a  gracious,  helping  Friend, 
ever  ready  to  hear  an  honest  prayer  and  bestow 
pardon,  gifts,  and  graces  upon  men.  I  prayed  as 
Jesus  directed,  and  methodically,  persistently, 
continuously,  every  day  and  night,  at  long  and 
short  intervals,  and  watched  for  the  result;  but 
no  result  seemed  to  come  from  this  moral  exer- 
cise. Yet  I  continued  to  pray,  for  I  argued  that 
if  Christianity  be  true  it  is  well  worth  spending  a 
lifetime  to  find  it  out. 

I  found  that  Jesus  taught  men  to  believe  all 
the  Old  Testament  as  God's  Revealed  Truth.  He 
also  taught  us  to  love  our  enemies,  and  I  found 
that  I  could  not  do  the  latter.  He  commanded  us 
to  love  God,  and  I  tried  to  see  in  God  those  things 
that  would  induce  my  cold,  unresponsive  heart  to 
love  Him. 

Again,  Jesus  commanded  us  to  confess  Him 
before  men,  to  talk  about  Him  to  men,  and  this 
I  tried  to  do  to  every  person  with  whom  I  had 
a  good  opportunity.  He  commanded  me  to  deny 
myself  in  a  moral  and  ethical  way  and  this  I  did. 
Within    a   short  time   I   found  myself  praying 


26     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

much,  talking  much,  obeying  as  best  I  could  the 
teachings  of  Jesus,  and  trying  to  love  as  He  com- 
manded. I  read  the  Bible  daily,  sometimes  a 
whole  book  at  one  sitting,  but  it  was  to  me  not  a 
warm,  living,  moving  power.  The  truth  is,  while 
I  respected  the  Bible  yet  I  did  not  love  the  Bible. 
I  was  aware  of  the  fact  that  I  had  no  special  love 
for  God,  for  Jesus  Christ,  nor  for  His  people, 
nor  for  the  Bible,  and  found  no  happiness  in  this 
religious  business  though  I  had  pursued  it  two 
months  and  more.  But  in  God's  good  time  the 
great  discovery  was  made.  And  this  was  how  it 
came  about:  I  began  a  close  study  of  the  suffer- 
ings and  death  of  Jesus  as  He  is  portrayed  in  the 
New  Testament,  as  an  offering  or  sacrifice  for 
sin;  and  in  this  study  I  was  greatly  impressed 
by  the  fact  that  He  died  for  me  personally,  as 
if  I  were  the  only  person  in  all  the  world.  And 
now  what  God  asked  me  to  see  was  His  great 
love  for  me  in  giving  His  Son  to  die  for  me,  in 
order  to  deliver  me  from  the  bondage  of  sin  and 
death  and  hell,  and  that  I  might  have  eternal  life. 
As  I  thought  about  this,  over  and  over,  and  re- 
pented and  believed,  gradually  a  spiritual  illu- 
mination became  mine,  that  is  to  say,  I  awoke  to 
the  consciousness  that  the  Holy  Spirit  had  come 
to  take  up  His  abode  with  me,  and  that  I  was 
changed,  renewed,  saved.  I  had  a  great  presence 
with  me  now,  the  presence  of  God.  And  what  was 
the  result? 
From  that  time  on  I  possessed  a  love  for  our 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  27 

gracious  Heavenly  Father,  for  Jesus  Christ  the 
Son  of  God,  who  died  to  redeem  me,  a  poor  sin- 
ner, for  Christians  also,  and  for  the  Bible.  The 
Bible  became  a  new  Book  to  me.  I  discovered 
the  Bible,  that  it  is  the  inspired  Truth  of  God. 
I  made  the  demonstration  in  my  own  experience. 
Before  this  the  Bible  was  largely  a  sealed  Book, 
but  now  it  had  become  a  vitalizing  power  day  by 
day  in  my  life.  Its  teachings  awakened  my 
dormant  spiritual  faculties,  and  directed  and  in- 
spired my  life  as  by  a  heavenly  and  irresistible 
charm.  It  was  the  charm  of  a  new  love,  a  new 
holy  life  with  Christ  in  God — the  Christian  life. 
I  discovered  that  the  Bible  is  inspired  because  it 
inspired  me,  and  through  its  teachings  I  was  led 
into  an  absolutely  new  life. 

Why  the  Critic  Objects 

Why  do  some  professedly  Christian  men,  in  and 
out  of  our  institutions,  and  some  also  in  Christian 
pulpits  criticize  the  Bible  and  reject  its  inspira- 
tion? Why?  It  is  because  these  men  have  not 
learned  to  see  that  the  Bible,  like  its  Heavenly 
Author,  must  be  discovered  along  the  line  of 
Christian  experience.  This  was  what  Jesus 
meant  when  He  said:  **If  any  man  will  do  God's 
will  he  shall  know."  What  shall  he  know?  **He 
shall  know,'*  says  Jesus,  ^^the  doctrine,  whether 
it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  from  myself." 
(John  7:17.)  That  is,  he  will  be  given  the  power 
to  discriminate,  to  clearly  understand  the  char- 


28     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

acter  and  source  of  our  Lord's  teachings.  He 
shall  know  whether  Jesus  spoke  as  Shakespeare, 
Emerson,  Spencer,  or  Haeckel  spoke,  out  of  the 
light  of  human  knowledge,  or  whether  He  spoke 
from  God,  or  gave  a  special  revelation  of  God 
to  men.  The  inspiration  and  character  of  the 
Bible,  therefore,  is  a  fact  that  is  demonstrable  in 
Christian  experience. 

Here  is  where  we  find  the  key  to  the  Bible. 
The  Bible  is  a  spiritual  Book,  and  cannot  be  un- 
derstood by  the  application  of  the  principles  of 
literary  interpretation.  Scholarship  furnishes 
some  mechanical  and  valuable  aids  to  the  study 
of  the  Bible.  We  can  never  afford  to  be  apostles 
of  ignorance.  But  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  secret  of  the  Bible  is  a  new  spiritual  life  with 
Christ  in  God,  and  the  key  to  this  is  found,  not 
in  scholarship,  but  in  the  hands  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  Lord  of  Life,  and  when  we  come  to 
Christ  in  simple  faith  and  joyful  obedience,  then 
there  is  revealed  to  us  the  spiritual  secret,  or 
given  to  us  by  the  Holy  Spirit  the  key  by  which 
we  can  unlock  the  door  and  enter  into  the  vast 
spiritual  realities  and  treasuries  of  the  Bible.  If 
we  would  know  the  Bible  we  must  first  surrender 
our  intellects  to  the  dominance  of  the  Life-giving 
Spirit.  The  yielded  life  is  the  secret.  God's  plan 
is  that  man  must  first  surrender  to  Him  before 
he  can  be  saved  and  illumined  intellectually  and 
spiritually. 

When  the  teacher  or  preacher,  or  humblest  lay- 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  29 

man  criticizes  the  Bible,  we  may  rest  assured  that 
they  are  advertising  the  fact  that  there  is  some- 
thing wrong  in  their  life,  that  they  are  holding 
on  to  some  sin  which  they  are  not  willing  to 
abandon.  If  we  find  a  teacher  or  preacher  criti- 
cizing the  Bible  unfavorably  they  thereby  reveal 
their  ignorance  of  Christ,  that  they  may  be  in 
their  calling  simply  for  what  they  can  get  out  of 
it,  for  the  same  reason  that  a  merchant  usually 
conducts  his  business.  Doubtless  these  critics 
believe  that  to  deny  the  Bible  is  an  economic  ad- 
vantage to-day.  At  any  rate,  not  having  discov- 
ered the  key  to  the  Bible  by  a  vital  personal  ex- 
perience, these  destructive  critics,  these  manufac- 
turers of  doubt,  imagine  that  to  criticize  the 
Bible  is  proof  of  a  superior  scholarship,  not 
knowing  that  in  so  doing  they  are  revealing  to  all 
an  elemental  religious  stupidity.  We  repeat,  that 
the  man  who  loves  to  criticize  the  Bible  unfavor- 
ably, and  deny  its  miracles,  and  authority,  and 
thus  ignore  its  Lord  and  King,  Jesus  Christ,  is 
not  living  the  true  Christian  life.  We  fear  he 
does  not  know  Jesns  Christ,  that  he  is  still  in 
his  sins,  hence  in  no  state  of  mind  to  express  an 
opinion  on  so  great  a  matter  as  the  inspiration 
of  the  Bible, 

Unscientific  and  Emotional 

But  we  meet  objections  to  this  argument  for 
the  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  as  to  the  premise  and 
conclusion,  afi&rming  that  this  point  of  view  is 


30     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

unscieBtific,  sentimental,  visionary,  emotional, 
and  untrustworthy,  that  it  sounds  like  mother's 
emotional,  sentimental  argument.  Well,  what  if 
it  does?  Can  we  afford  to  make  light  of  senti- 
ment, of  emotion  in  religion?  Sentiment  and 
emotion  rule  the  world.  The  charm  of  the  Bible 
is  that  its  truths  get  far  deep  into  the  depths  of 
our  emotional  nature  and  purifies  our  emotions, 
and  turns  our  affections  towards  the  loving 
God. 

Our  Lord  never  spoke  slightingly  of  emotional 
religion,  the  holy  joy  that  expresses  itself  at  times 
in  ecstasy  and  tears.  *^  Jesus  wepf  is  the  short- 
est and  one  of  the  sweetest  verses  in  the  Bible. 
When  the  depths  of  His  loving  heart  were  stirred 
beside  the  dead  form  of  his  friend  Lazarus,  His 
great  emotional  religion  could  only  express  itself 
for  a  moment  in  tears.  God's  greatest  saints 
have  been  weeping  saints.  Our  sainted  mothers 
— God  bless  their  memories — ^many  of  them  knew 
far  more  about  God  and  His  book  than  do  many 
of  their  educated  children.  They  wept  their  way 
home  to  God.  What  the  pulpit  lacks  to-day,  yes, 
WHAT  WE  ALL  LACK,  is  the  old-time  glowing  re- 
ligion of  love  and  tears !  God  give  the  American 
pulpit  more  tears,  and  less  cold  intellectual  carp- 
ing criticism!  Paul  said  that  he  wept  day  and 
night  over  the  souls  of  men.  His  great  big  heart 
overflowed  in  passionate  love  for  Christ  and  men. 
God  give  the  theological  seminary  more  tears !  God 
give  His  church  everj^where  a  deeply  emotional, 


EVIDENCE  FROM  EXPERIENCE  31 

as  well  as  intellectual  religion,  a  religion  of  true 
Christian  experience,  the  experience  by  which 
men  make  the  great  discovery  that  the  Bible  is 
God's  inspired  Book.  ''Christianity  is  nothing  if 
it  is  not  an  experience.'* 


CHAPTER  III 

SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE 

There  are  good  reasons  for  the  view  that  the 
inspiration  of  the  Bible  can  be  demonstrated 
scientifically.  Science  being  classified  facts,  sys- 
temized  knowledge,  generally  in  the  realm  of  law, 
it  follows  that  facts  in  the  realm  of  moral  or 
spiritual  laws  can  be  classified  also,  and  desig- 
nated a  science.  In  this  sense  the  inspiration  of 
the  Bible  can  be  proved  scientifically,  for  we  have 
well-established  moral  facts  on  which  to  build  our 
science  of  inspiration. 

Is  THE  Bible  an  Evolution? 

One  reason  why  the  New  Theology  school 
denies  any  special  inspiration  in  the  Bible,  be- 
yond what  they  claim  all  highly  ethical  literature 
possesses,  is  that  to  them  the  Bible  is  an  evolu- 
tion, as  is  its  environment  of  nature  and  moral 
and  mental  life,  that  is,  that  all  are  a  growth  pro- 
gressing and  changing,  ever  evolving.  If  the 
Bible  is  inspired,  they  affirm  it  is  only  as  all 
spiritual  life  and  literature  are  inspired,  that 
there  can  be  no  special,  unique,  distinct  inspira- 

32 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  33 

tion  for  the  Bible.  All  truth  to  them  is  not  a 
fixed  unchanging  quality  and  principle,  it  is  a 
growth. 

But  this  we  stoutly  deny.  Truth  is  a  fixed,  un- 
changing and  eternal  princiile  and  quality;  it 
never  progresses  in  the  sense  that  man  pro- 
gresses ;  it  is  eternal  and  unchanging.  Truth  can 
no  more  be  an  evolution  than  God  or  Christ  can 
be  an  evolution,  for  Truth  is  a  moral  and  un- 
changing attribute.  Truth  is  a  clear  index  to  the 
character  of  God;  it  is  a  reflection  of  God;  it  is 
a  special  revelation  from  God.  Truth  is  not  a 
creation,  it  is  an  eternal  attribute  of  God.  When 
Jesus  said,  ^^I  am  the  Truth''  (John  14:6)  He 
meant  to  say  that  He  is  incapable  of  error,  that 
is,  He  is  Divine.  When  the  Apostle  said  of  Jesus 
that  He  is  *'the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  for- 
ever" (Heb.  13:8),  he  meant  us  to  understand 
that  Jesus  Chriot  is  Divine,  unchanging,  not  an 
evolution,  but  the  Unchanging,  Eternal  One.  As 
Isaac  Watts  puts  it: 

"Thy  Years  Are  One  Eternal  Day." 

And  God  expressed  the  same  idea  of  Himself, 
when  He  said  to  Malachi,  ^'I  change  not." 
(Mai.  3:6.) 

It  is  true  that  the  Bible  did  not  spring  up  over 
night,  nor  is  it  the  product  of  a  century  only, 
for  it  required  at  least  sixteen  hundred  years, 
from  Moses  to  the  latter  part  of  the  First  Cen- 


34     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

tury,  to  produce  it.  Indeed,  there  is  good  reason 
for  the  view  that  the  documents  comprising  parts 
of  the  Book  of  Genesis,  at  least,  were  in  existence 
prior  to  the  time  of  Moses,  and  were  incorporated 
by  him  into  the  Pentateuch.  It  is  impossible  to 
believe  that  the  Book  of  Genesis,  covering  as  it 
does  a  period  of  at  least  twenty-five  hundred 
years  (noted  Bible  scholars  hold  different  views 
as  to  the  length  of  this  period),  from  the  Creation 
to  the  Mosaic  period,  with  all  its  history  and  de- 
tailed genealogy,  could  be  the  result  of  a  late  tra- 
dition, and  finally  edited  500  B.C.,  as  the  Modern- 
ists affirm.  This  view  is  not  only  unreasonable, 
it  is  absurd  on  the  face  of  it. 

But  while  the  Bible  was  a  gradual  growth,  be- 
cause it  was  a  gradual  Revelation,  yet  the  Truth 
of  this  Book  was  not  a  growth.  In  other  words, 
God's  Truth  does  not  and  cannot  grow,  though 
the  record  and  volume  of  that  Revelation  was 
gradually  enlarged. 

This,  however,  is  not  to  say  that  all  the 
various  parts  of  the  Bible  are  of  equal  value 
to  us  to-day.  God  was  dealing  with  the  race 
in  its  infancy,  in  the  Old  Testament  times, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  teach  them  as  chil- 
dren in  the  kindergarten  department  of  .life, 
as  Divine  Wisdom  directed.  This  is  why  we 
have  Truth  taught  by  object  lessons  in  the  Old 
Testament,  by  types  and  symbols,  also  why  there 
had  to  be  a  direct  communication  of  revealed 
Truth  by  angel  or  theophanic  manifestation.  For 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  35 

instance,  the  fact  and  eternal  necessity  of  the 
Atonement  was  taught  in  the  Old  Testament  in 
its  simplest  form.  There  was  no  other  way  to  get 
this  great  revelation  of  God^s  love  and  grace  im- 
planted in  the  hearts  of  men,  for  the  Atonement 
is,  in  its  last  analysis,  a  revelation  of  the  grace, 
the  love  of  God.  And  so  it  was  with  other  re- 
vealed Truth.  Is  the  Old  Testament,  therefore, 
a  perfect  revelation  of  God  to  man!  Yes,  in  the 
sense  as  stated  above,  it  was  a  perfect  revelation 
for  that  day,  that  is,  it  fulfilled  the  purpose  for 
which  God  had  intended.  It  is  not  as  high  or 
complete  a  Eevelation  of  God  as  we  find  in  the 
New  Testament,  but,  as  stated,  it  was  the  high- 
est revelation  or  conception  of  God  the  people  of 
that  day  were  capable  of  receiving. 

While  all  this  is  true,  let  it  not  be  forgotten 
that  the  Truth  itself  is  not  a  growth.  God  re- 
vealed as  man  had  the  capacity  to  receive  and 
comprehend.  The  Old  Testament  is  not  a  com- 
plete Revelation  without  its  complement  and  in- 
terpreter, the  New  Testament — the  fulfillment 
and  the  enlarged  Revelation  of  that  which  God 
began  to  make  known  in  the  Old  Testament.  No 
time  will  be  taken  to  give  further  illustration  of 
this  fact.  The  Old  Testament  is  as  truly  the 
Word  of  God  as  is  the  New  Testament,  but  it  is 
the  Truth  revealed  to  the  race  when  in  its  kinder- 
garten department,  hence  it  must  needs  appear 
to  us  to-day,  in  the  light  of  the  New  Testament, 
as  not  quite  complete.    The  Revelation  in  Jesus 


36     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Christ  makes  the  Old  Testament  whole,  full,  com- 
plete, and  glorious. 

The  New  Theology  must  not  confuse  man  with 
Truth.  Man  grows,  progresses,  changes,  and  his 
growth  in  the  moral  lightness  of  God  will  be  con- 
ditioned on  his  appropriation  and  assimilation  of 
the  Truth  of  God.  The  above  facts  will  explain 
why  the  New  Theology  speaks  of  the  old  theology 
as  unprogressive,  reactionary,  and  why  the  old 
speaks  of  the  new  as  radical,  critical,  destructive, 
rejectors  of  the  Word  of  God. 

The  New  Theology,  or  Modernism,  is,  as  has 
been  shown  heretofore,  constructed  largely  on 
theories,  unproved  assumptions,  untenable  hy- 
potheses, speculative  and  atheistic  evolution, 
while  the  Old  Theology  is  built  upon  the  unchang- 
ing Word  of  God. 

Theories,  however  attractive,  are  only  man's 
wisdom,  and  ofttimes  his  folly,  while  the  Truth  is 
God's  wisdom.  If  this  be  not  true  then  we  shall 
have  to  abandon  all  views  of  any  special  Eevela- 
tion  and  inspiration  regarding  the  Bible. 

If  the  Bible  is  an  evolution  then  Modernism  is 
correct  in  denying  to  it  any  special  inspiration, 
for  in  that  case  it  is  part  of  a  general  scheme 
of  evolution,  and  must  be,  in  character,  like  the 
spiritual  v/orld  of  thought  and  life  of  which  it  is 
a  part ;  and  God  and  inspiration  are  in  the  Bible 
only  as  God  and  inspiration  are  in  everything  of 
a  spiritual  nature. 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  37 

New  Theology  God  a  Slave 

To  the  New  Theology  God  is  thus  in  everything. 
He  cannot  approach  man  objectively.  He  rises, 
as  it  were,  only  from  within,  and  makes  himself 
known  only  as  man's  natural  evolution  makes  it 
possible  for  God  to  manifest  Himself  in  the  grow- 
ing consciousness  of  man. 

God  is  never  a  revelation  from  without  but  only 
a  growing  consciousness  from  within.  God,  to 
Modernism,  has  hidden  Himself  in  or  has  amal- 
gamated Himself  with  nature  working  only  out- 
wardly from  within  and  never  inwardly  from 
without.  If  this  be  the  truth  as  to  God's  method 
of  manifestation  of  Himself  to  man,  then  God  is 
a  slave  to  the  world  which  he  has  made.  More- 
over, all  creation  is  an  incarnation  of  God,  as 
Spinoza,  the  father  of  modern  Pantheism,  argued. 
God  cannot  ever  reveal  Himself  to  man  from 
without.  If  this  be  the  case,  we  must  conclude 
that  the  god  of  Modernism  is  not  the  God  of  the 
Bible.  What  a  pitiful  poor  fool  god  the  New 
Theology  has!  Such  teaching  is  enough  to  fill 
the  hearts  of  sane,  thoughtful,  Bible-loving  honest 
men  with  righteous  indignation  and  pity. 

It  is  also  clear  from  what  has  been  said  that 
the  god  of  Modernism  is  not  a  personal  god  and 
free,  he  is  a  principle  of  nature,  dumb  and  help- 
less; indeed  he  is  nature  and  not  the  Creator. 
The  New  Theology  is  in  this  respect  somewhat 
akin  to  its  twin  sister.  Christian  Science,  built  on 
the  philosophy  of  pantheism,  namely,  that  God  is 


38     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

nature,  that  nature  is  God,  that  both  are  one,  and 
that  evolution  is  our  only  principle  of  interpreta- 
tion. The  Christian  Revelation,  that  is  the  Bible 
generally,  teaches  that  God  is  the  Creator  of  na- 
ture and  of  all  life,  and  that  He  controls  and 
directs  nature  in  all  her  domain  by  fixed  laws, 
unchanging  principles,  that  He  is  in  all  and 
THROUGH  ALL  AND  ABOVE  ALL,  and  is  not  a 
slave  to  His  creation,  that  He  is  an  Eternal 
Spirit,  independent  and  free,  and  is  not  confined 
to,  but  infinitely  greater  than  the  worlds  which 
He  has  made.  The  New  Theology  has  gotten  it- 
self into  a  jumble  of  contradictions,  tangled  up 
in  a  maze  of  untenable  pantheistic  theories  that 
must  result  in  religious  suicide. 

Perhaps  what  has  been  said  will  help  us  to  see 
why  Modernism  appears  to  belittle  the  Bible. 
They  are  forced  by  their  philosophy  of  evolution, 
rationalism  and  pantheism  to  reject  the  Bible  as 
a  unique  Revelation  and  specially  inspired. 

Man,  not  Truth,  Progresses 

This  school  of  ethical  philosophers  has  not  yet 
learned  that  it  is  not  Truth  that  is  progressing, 
growing,  changing,  but  that  it  is  man  who  is  pro- 
gressing, growing,  changing,  for  good  or  ill,  and 
that  man  can  advance  and  keep  step  and  stroke 
with  God  only  as  he  comprehends  and  assimilates 
and  lives  the  Truth  of  God.  If  he  repents  and 
receives  and  obeys  Christ,  he  shall  live,  otherwise 
he  must  perish. 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  39 

When  the  New  Theology  tells  us  that  *'God 
cannot  inspire  a  book;  that  He  inspires  only- 
men,''  we  can  now  understand  them — ^w^hy  they 
thus  teach.  But  the  average  man  will  persist  in 
asking:  Why  cannot  God  do  this  thing?  It  is 
difficult  for  Him  to  believe  that  the  god  of  this 
theology  is  the  God  of  the  Bible,  that  he  cannot 
speak  to  men  and  command  men.  He  finds  it  dif- 
ficult to  believe  that  Christ,  the  **  Life-quickening 
Spirit,''  cannot  inspire  His  own  eternal  Truth. 
If  they  should  tell  us  that  God  cannot  use  a  New 
Theology  teacher  in  winning  sinners  to  Christ, 
that  God  cannot  use  the  preacher  who  never 
agonizes  in  prayer  for  souls,  who  never  requests 
the  church  to  come  aside  with  him  and  pray  for 
souls,  we  would  readily  believe  him ;  but  when  he 
says,  *'God  cannot  inspire  a  book,"  then  we 
demur,  we  decline  to  go  with  him,  and  we  declare 
that  all  such  preaching  is  out  of  place  in  a  Chris- 
tian pulpit,  that  it  is  infidelity  **pure  and  sim- 
ple," that  it  is  not  true. 

Inspiration  and  Cold  Type 

If  men  were  ever  inspired  of  God,  the  product 
of  their  lives  was  inspired  also.  The  inspiration 
of  God  can  be  transmitted  to  writing.  The  truths 
of  the  Bible  are  mighty  in  cold  type.  The  Bible 
is  not  made  up  of  paste,  paper,  silk  thread  and 
ink,  but  of  Divine  Ideas,  Life-giving  and  Life- 
quickening  Truth.  The  Bible  is  a  spiritual  book, 
that  is,  it  is  **the  Book  of  God  and  the  god  of 


40     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

books/ ^  the  Book  that  Gladstone  called  **the  im- 
pregnable rock,'*  and  that  Dr.  Hastings  called 
**a  cube  with  six  squares  and  equal  sides,  and  on 
whichever  side  it  falls  it  is  right  side  up.'* 

The  inspiration  of  this  marvelous  Book  is  a 
mystery,  but  no  more  a  mystery  than  is  the 
charging  of  a  cold-dead  wire  with  electricity. 
How  do  we  discover  the  current  in  the  wire?  Not 
by  an  intellectual  idea  so  much  as  by  the  sense  of 
emotion,  sensation,  feeling.  And  thus  it  is  in  our 
discovery  of  the  Bible.  If  men  have  learned  by 
the  proper  use  of  a  certain  law  to  charge  the  wire 
with  this  unknown  force  in  nature  we  call  elec- 
tricity, surely  the  All-wise  God  is  able  to  cause 
His  own  life  to  possess  the  Bible,  to  make  it 
inspired. 

Our  Lord  was  making  clear  the  fact  of  inspi- 
ration when  He  said,  *^The  words  I  speak  unto 
you  they  are  spirit  and  they  are  life."  (John 
6 :63.)  This  is  why  the  Bible  cannot  grow  old  and 
die  like  other  books,  it  is  charged  with  the  very 
life  of  God.  The  Bible  is  a  Living  Spiritual 
Product  disclosing  a  Divine  Plan  of  salvation  and 
not  a  mere  book.  We  are  now  arriving  close  to 
the  deeper  meaning  of  inspiration.  Our  Lord  did 
not  say  that  His  life  and  the  Divine  Plan  could 
be  transmuted  to  men  only  in  His  vocal  utter- 
ances, and  that  once  His  words  are  p'ut  on  parch- 
ments, or  paper,  or  in  cold  type,  they  lose  their 
inspiration  and  power  and  become  as  dead.  The 
words,  sentences,  symbols,  and  types  of  the  Bible 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  41 

which  convey  the  Divine  Ideas  to  men  are  the  or- 
dained media  through  which  God's  Truth  only 
can  come,  for  if  God  speaks  to  or  reveals  Him- 
self to  man  He  must  do  it  in  the  speech,  the  lan- 
guage of  man. 

Inspikation  and  Music 

We  have  heard  folks  say  that  they  were  in- 
spired by  music;  but  that,  how^ever,  is  not  the 
kind  of  inspiration  we  have  in  the  Bible.  Where 
is  the  inspiration  of  music,  in  the  musician's  mind 
or  in  his  instrument  or  in  both?  Can  we  be  in- 
spired by  music  aside  from  the  human  voice  or 
the  mechanical  instrument  that  conveys  it  to  our 
minds!  If  the  musician  can  touch  his  instrument 
and  cause  it  to  bring  tears  to  our  eyes,  why  -can- 
not the  Master  Musician — God — touch  the  written 
Word  of  God  and  cause  it  to  be  inspired? 

The  fact  is  that  the  inspiration  of  men  is  found 
in  the  things  they  produce.  We  read  Aristotle 
and  we  feel  his  massive  mind,  his  mental  powers. 
We  read  Kuskin  and  we  feel  his  artistic,  his 
flBsthetic  nature.  We  read  Burns  and  we  feel  his 
poetic  passion.  We  read  the  Bible  and  we  feel 
the  throbbing  loving  heart  of  God.  God  has  in- 
spired a  book.  Millions  have  discovered  it.  It  is 
a  scientific  fact. 

Peoven  by  its  Product 

If  God  inspires  only  men,  as  the  Modernists 
affirm,  we  are  justified  in  asking  who  are  the  men? 


42     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

The  trouble  here  is  that  they  are  confusing  what 
is  commonly  called  inspiration,  that  is,  an  exhil- 
arating, stirring  feeling,  with  the  energizing  life 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  who  has  revealed  and 
inspired  the  Bible.  These  two  kinds  of  inspira- 
tion are  somewhat  dissimilar  and  may  be  distinct 
in  character.  The  Christian  experience  differs 
from  all  other  experience,  nevertheless,  the  com- 
mon inspiration  to  holy  living  and  service  is  not 
an  illustration  of  the  inspiration  we  find  in  the 
Bible.  Some  men  are  inspired  to  preach,  but  that 
does  not  fully  illustrate  the  inspiration  which 
produced  the  Bible.  The  latter  is  in  the  realm  of 
perfection  and  infallibility,  the  former  has  in  it 
the  elements  of  imperfection.  We  are  quickened 
by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  do  each  his  own  work,  the 
writers  of  the  Bible  were  illumined  to  produce  the 
Bible,  or  to  give  an  accurate  Record  of  God^s 
Revelation  to  men.  A  man  may  be  inspired  to 
preach,  but  not  to  give  a  new  Revelation  of  God 
to  the  world.  God  has  no  new  Revelation  to  give 
to  this  Gospel  age  aside  from  that  given  in  the 
Bible.  The  Revelation  was  closed  about  two 
thousand  years  ago,  the  testimony  of  Joseph 
Smith,  the  Mormon,  the  man  of  many  wives,  and 
Mrs.  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  the  pantheistic  philoso- 
pher, the  woman  of  several  husbands,  and  all 
other  false  teachers  to  the  contrary.  If  God  in- 
spires good  men  in  every  generation  as  He  in- 
spired the  writers  of  the  Bible,  then  instead  of 
having  only  one,  we  would  have  numerous  Bibles 


SCIENTIFIC  EA^DENCE  43 

or  Books  that  would  be  of  great  value — new  reve- 
lations would  be  so  voluminous  that  the  world 
could  not  stand  up  under  the  excitement,  or  they 
would  be  so  common  that  Divine  Revelation 
would  probably  become  a  joke  to  sinful  men.  But 
God  has  not  so  planned  it.  The  Revelation  has 
been  closed,  and  will  so  remain  until  our  Lord 
returns. 

Why  Men's  Books  Die 

That  men  are  not  inspired  as  were  the  writers 
of  the  Bible  may  be  seen  by  the  influence  or  lon- 
gevity of  their  books.  Men^s  most  popular  books 
have  a  short  day.  There  are  thousands  of  good 
and  great  books  that  once  had  a  large  sale,  but 
they  are  dead  to-day.  Millions  of  books  are 
lying  on  shelves  as  forgotten  as  if  they  had  not 
been  printed — books  on  science,  philosophy,  re- 
ligion, social  economics,  fiction.  How  quickly 
truly  great  books  die!  Why  do  men's  books 
perish,  while  the  Bible  is  not  showing  any  signs 
of  decrepitude  or  decay!  Moreover,  the  Bible  is 
as  fresh  and  life-giving  to  each  generation  as  is 
the  coming  of  the  morning  sun,  or  the  sweet  at- 
mosphere of  spring  that  drives  the  ice  away  and 
brings  forth  the  flowers  to  bloom.  The  Bible 
seems  to  be  more  popular  than  ever,  as  the  num- 
bers printed  are  increasing  yearly.  The  Bible 
cannot  grow  old.  How  can  it  grow  old  when  it  is 
inbreathed,  inspired  by  the  Life-giving  Spirit  of 
Qqi?     When    God   grows    old    and   weak   and 


44     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

perishes,  then,  and  not  till  then,  will  the  Bible 
grow  old  and  die.  And  those  who  are  renewed  by 
the  same  Life-giving  Spirit,  they  too  will  never 
grow  old.  There  is  no  old  age  in  Christ,  nor  in 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  but  rather  the  bloom  and 
beauty  of  an  eternal  youth.  And  yet  we  have 
doubters  who  say  that  **God  cannot  inspire  a 
book.'' 
> 

Is  Adapted  to  Human  Needs 

Further  proof  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible 
is  seen  in  its  adaptability  to  human  needs.  Let  us 
illustrate:  In  1894  I  was  preaching  in  Bangor, 
Maine.  At  the  hotel  I  met  a  noted  infidel.  He 
had  been  a  surgeon  in  the  navy  in  the  Civil  War, 
was  a  very  learned  man,  had  an  immense  library, 
and  was  widely  known  in  New  England  as  a  noted 
infidel.  He  said:  **Do  you  believe  in  immor- 
tality r'  I  replied  that  I  did.  *^Well,''  he  said, 
** prove  it  and  I  will  become  a  Christian."  I  told 
him  I  could  do  it,  and  began  at  once  to  read  the 
account  of  the  Resurrection  of  Christ.  But  to 
this  he  promptly  objected,  saying,  **I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  Book,  give  me  scientific  proof."  I  re- 
plied that  I  would,  and  proceeded  to  give  him 
scientific  proof.  I  said,  **The  Bible  is  adapted  to 
meet  the  needs  of  man 's  spiritual  life.  When  you 
are  thirsty  there  is  water  to  slake  your  thirst,  is 
there  not  ?  "  and  the  infidel  said  *  *  yes. "  *  *  When 
you  are  hungry,  there  is  food  to  satisfy  your  hun- 
ger?"    **Yes,"  he  replied.     **When  you  want 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  45 

companionship  there  are  friends  to  meet  that 
need  V^  ^^  Quite  right, '  *  he  answered.  *  *  When  you 
crave  knowledge,  there  are  books  and  a  glorious 
universe,  and  in  every  blade  of  grass  lie  lessons 
yet  untold.  Is  not  that  trueT'  '^That  is  quite 
true,''  replied  the  infidel.  *'Very  well  then,  my 
friend,  man  has  spiritual  longings  also,  for  man 
is  an  immortal  spirit,  and  there  must  be  some- 
thing. Someone,  somewhere  to  satisfy  those  long- 
ings, for  how  can  we  long  for  a  thing  that  does 
not  exist?  There  is  no  contradiction  between 
man's  physical,  mental  and  social  nature  and  the 
world  outside.  When  man  wants  something,  its 
just  outside  in  his  environment.  Man  is  the  coun- 
terpart of  the  universe,  the  world  does  not  seem 
to  be  complete  without  him,  nor  is  he  complete 
without  the  world.  And  can  we  imagine  that 
there  is  a  contradiction  between  man^s  highest 
nature,  his  spiritual  nature  and  the  universe  out- 
side! It  is  scientifically  unthinkable.  Therefore, 
God  is,  future  life,  eternal  life  is  a  reality,  for 
man  longs  for  God  and  the  immortal  life,  and  he 
cannot  long  for  that  which  does  not  exist.  And 
the  Bible  was  given  to  man  to  tell  him  about  God 
and  Christ  and  Heaven  and  eternal  life." 

** Where  did  you  read  that?"  said  the  old  man. 
*'I  never  read  it  anywhere,  I  thought  it  out.  It 
is  so  simple,  yet  is  it  not  unanswerable?  Isn't  it 
scientifically  correct?"  The  old  man  was  looking 
do^sTi  at  the  floor  with  a  grave  countenance,  and 
he  said,  slowly,  **I  do  not  think  that  I  am  ready 


46     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

now  to  answer  your  argument/'  and  the  conver- 
sation ended. 

God's  great  Book  can  meet  the  deepest  cravings 
of  the  human  soul.  It  tells  us  of  Heaven,  of 
Home,  sweet,  sweet  Home. 

Power  Over  Human  Mind 

The  last  proof  of  a  scientific  nature  we  would 
submit  is  the  power  of  the  Bible  over  the  human 
mind. 

Here  we  may  see  the  moral  or  ethical  and 
spiritual  effect  of  the  Bible  upon  character  and 
conduct,  as  we  can  see  the  influence  of  the  sun 
upon  the  frozen  earth,  and  the  resultant  beauty 
in  blade  of  grass  and  bursting  bud  and  flower. 
When  we  see  the  Bible  exert  a  controlling  influ- 
ence upon  men,  all  classes  of  men,  learned  and 
unlearned,  rich  and  poor,  when  we  see  it  take  a 
lawless  criminal,  father  or  son,  and  a  wayward 
outcast  woman,  a  confirmed  drunkard  and  thief, 
and  even  a  murderer,  and  change  them  from  bad 
folks  to  good,  law-abiding,  God-loving  folks,  when 
we  see  the  world's  greatest  intellects  acknowledge 
the  authority  and  power  of  the  Bible,  when  we 
hear  the  apostate  Julian  say,  **0  Galilean,  Thou 
hast  conquered";  when  we  see  a  savage,  man- 
eating  people  become  civilized  under  the  influence 
of  the  Bible,  and  made  lovers  of  God  and  men, 
then  we  know  beyond  any  argument  that  this  re- 
markable Book  is  undoubtedly  the  greatest  power 
iin  the  whole  world — a  power  greater,  more  pd- 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  47 

tent,  more  enduring  than  that  of  any  government 
or  king  upon  his  throne,  or  any  system  of  science 
or  philosophy,  and  that  the  only  possible  explana- 
tion is  that  it  is  inspired  of  God. 

If  it  were  possible  for  ns  to  imagine  ourselves 
as  outsiders  and  onlookers  at  our  race,  observing 
those  things  that  exert  the  greatest  influence  upon 
humanity,  unbiased,  unprejudiced  students  of  the 
world  of  men,  we  would  soon  discover  that  the 
mightiest  influence  in  moulding  the  thought  of 
nations,  and  shaping  the  destiny  of  the  world  is 
the  Bible.  We  cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  facts.  The 
Bible  is  unquestionably  the  most  popular  Book  in 
the  world  because  it  is  the  most  potent  influence 
in  the  world  for  good. 

Not  a  few  noted  scholars  in  America  declare 
that  no  man  is  educated  who  is  not  a  student  of 
the  literature,  history  and  teachings  of  the  Bible ; 
nevertheless  in  our  institutions  we  find  not  a  few 
persons,  both  students  and  teachers,  who  seem  to 
be  quite  ignorant  of  the  only  truly  great  Book  in 
all  the  world. 

In  ancient  Israel  every  male  child  was  sup- 
posed to  have  a  theological  education  at  the  age 
of  thirteen.  The  Old  Testament  was  the  text- 
book. Do  we  ask  what  is  the  secret  of  the  ancient 
and  modern  greatness  of  this  people,  why  did 
they  give  to  the  world  its  laws  and  Divinely  Re- 
vealed Religion?  We  answer,  because  every  home 
was  a  theological  seminary  for  the  religious  train- 
ing of  the  child.    Eliminating  the  Supernatural 


48     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

from  the  life  of  Jesus,  any  scientific  student  of 
history  would  conclude  that  Jesus  Christ  could 
be  produced  only  by  the  Hebrew  race.  God  hon- 
ored this  race  above  all  other  people  because  they 
gave  themselves  to  a  study  of  His  Word.  This 
was  why  God  honored  the  Jewish  people  by  using 
Mary,  a  member  of  that  race,  as  the  medium 
through  whom  His  beloved  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
was  given  as  a  Gift  to  all  mankind.  The  Old  Tes- 
tament produced  the  Jewish  race  as  a  religious 
race,  and  made  them  a  great  people ;  and  this  race 
produced  the  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ;  and  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  mightiest  Force  for  righteousness 
this  world  has  ever  known,  and  will  thus  continue 
to  be  until  the  end  of  the  programme.  But  back 
of  all  this  mighty  influence  we  must  put  the  Bible. 
We  know  it  usually  takes  time  to  produce  char- 
acter and  true  greatness ;  but  who  has  not  seen  a 
bad  man  leap  into  prominence  almost  over  night, 
and  in  some  cases,  a  man  of  ordinary  mental 
power,  and  also  the  man  of  extraordinary  men- 
tality? Who  is  he?  Bunyan,  the  ignorant  tinker. 
Who  is  he?  John  Newton,  the  converted  drunken 
sailor.  Who  is  he?  Moody,  the  obscure  shoe 
clerk.  Who  is  he?  Sam  Hadley,  the  hopeless 
drunkard.  But  we  need  not  give  the  names  of 
the  most  noted,  we  can  recall  men  who,  to-day, 
are  noble,  strong,  brave,  loving  and  true,  who 
were  once  on  the  very  lips  of  hell  through  sin.  The 
secret?  IngersolPs  lectures?  Ha,  ha!  You 
know.    Everybody  knows  that  it  is  the  Bible. 


SCIENTIFIC  EVIDENCE  49 

Abraham  Lincoln  used  to  boast  that  in  his 
youth  he  read  only  two  books — ^Hhe  Bible  and 
Bunyan^s  *  Pilgrim's  Progress'  *' — and  by  the 
way — the  two  most  widely  circulated  books  in  all 
history.  Of  course  the  great  martyr-President 
read  more  books  as  he  advanced  in  years;  but 
doubtless  in  these  words  we  find  the  chief  secret 
of  the  moral  greatness  of  this  king  among  men — 
the  man  who  was  used  of  God  to  save  democracy, 
to  preserve  liberty,  to  radiate  light  upon  all  man- 
kind. 

Two  boys  agreed  to  read  the  Bible  through, 
and  the  one  who  should  accomplish  his  task  first 
would  make  a  gift  to  the  other.  Said  one  of  the 
lads,  when  he  had  completed  Genesis  and  Exodus, 
**I  could  not  go  further  without  beginning  to 
pray,  and  not  caring  to  become  a  Christian,  I 
stopped  reading  the  Bible."  What  is  the  secret 
of  the  power  of  this  Book  over  the  minds  of  men! 
Other  books  do  not  thus  influence  men. 

A  young  man  while  living  in  a  cabin  in  a  lonely 
part  of  the  Rockies,  was  accustomed  to  spend  his 
evenings  reading  the  Bible.  One  evening  a  man, 
who  had  tmce  been  on  trial  for  murder  in  the 
Rockies,  entered  the  cabin,  and  seeing  a  stranger 
reading  the  Bible,  flew  into  a  passion  of  temper 
and  threatened  this  man's  life  if  he  did  not  stop 
reading  the  Bible.  He  shouted,  **I  cannot  endure 
seeing  you  read  that  Book  in  my  presence !''  Why 
did  this  man  cry  out  against  the  Bible  ?  Because 
it  reminded  him  of  his  sin.    If  it  had  been  the 


50     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Koran  or  a  novel  or  any  other  book,  he  would 
not  have  objected.  The  Bible  rebuked  him,  and 
he  cried  out  against  it,  as  did  the  demons  in  the 
presence  of  Jesus.  **What  have  we  to  do  with 
thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  God,  art  thou  come  to 
torment  us  before  the  time?'' 

Ah,  men  and  women,  let  not  the  world's  subtle 
philosophies  and  its  unbelief  win  you  away  from 
the  Bible  as  the  voice  and  comfort  of  God  to 
your  hearts.  Let  them  say  that  the  Bible  is  not 
true,  if  they  will,  that  it  is  not  inspired  of  God, 
that  scholarship  has  proved  it  to  be  only  a  human, 
faulty  product,  made  up  of  fable,  legend,  and 
untrustworthy  history,  nevertheless,  the  Bible 
still  stands,  as  it  will  ever  stand,  the  one  great 
Book  of  God  for  all  time,  the  book  that  is  its 
own  best  defense,  that  can  prove  to  any  honest 
seeker  after  God  its  own  inspiration,  that  Avill  not 
cease  to  speak  for  God,  that  cannot  be  explained 
away,  that  can  ever  protect  the  weak,  direct  the 
strong,  place  dimples  of  joy  on  the  cheeks  of  the 
sorrowing,  bring  true  happiness  to  the  living  and 
peace  to  the  dying,  and  light  up  the  grave  with 
the  rainbow  of  hope. 


CHAPTER  IV 

INTERNAL  EVIDENCES 

Chaeactee  of  Its  Revelation 

The  fact  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible  is  seen 
in  the  character  of  the  Revelation  it  brings  to 
men. 

God's  purpose  for  man  is  not  to  give  him  to- 
day a  revelation  of  all  the  Truth  there  is  in  His 
mind  and  heart,  but  to  reveal  certain  truths  as 
to  Creation  and  Redemption,  which  are  unique 
in  their  character,  differing  as  they  do  from  all 
other  truths,  and  from  all  other  discussions  of 
the  same  subjects  found  elsewhere. 

Truth  and  Fact 

In  discussing  the  question  of  inspiration  it  is 
necessary  to  distinguish  between  Truth  and  fact. 
A  fact  is  not  Truth,  but  Truth  is  a  fact.  Facts  are 
mechanical.  Truth  is  moral.  Facts  come  largely 
within  the  realm  of  mechanics,  science,  mathe- 
matics, while  Truth  comes  within  the  realm  of 
conduct,  character,  ethical  and  spiritual  relation- 
ships. That  two  plus  two  equals  four  is  not  a 
matter  of  inspiration.     That  the  earth  revolves 

51 


62     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

around  the  sun  on  its  axis,  making  the  journey 
once  a  year,  is  not  an  inspired  fact. 

All  Truth  Not  Inspired 

Further,  all  truth  is  not  inspired.  It  is  true 
that  a  mother  loves  her  child,  but  that  is  not  a 
matter  of  Divine  inspiration  and  Revelation.  It 
is  true  that  every  child  of  Adam  is  born  to 
struggle  and  to  suffer,  but  this  is  not  a  matter  of 
inspiration.  God  has  put  the  inspiration,  that 
is  the  very  life  of  His  infinite  heart  in  only  the 
Truth  which  reveals  His  glory,  wisdom  and  love, 
in  the  realm  of  the  redemption  of  His  children, 
and  in  the  minds  of  those  who  were  Divinely 
chosen  to  write  this  Truth  in  the  Book  we  call 
the  Bible. 

Divine  Revelation  has  to  do  with  matters  that 
man  alone  never  could  discover.  Inventions, 
facts  of  science  and  philosophy,  therefore,  are  not 
inspired.  The  ethical  laws  of  society,  which  men 
see  and  declare  to  be  right,  because  they  are  edu- 
cated to  view  them  as  such,  by  the  Law  of  God, 
are  matters  of  Divine  Revelation  and  inspira- 
tion. 

All  true  ethics  are  a  part  of  Divine  Revelation.  It 
is  very  seriously  doubted  whether  mankind  would 
understand  the  nature  of  ethics  aside  from  the 
Revealed  Moral  Laws,  as  the  Apostle  Paul  said, 
**I  had  not  known  sin,  but  by  the  law;  for  I  had 
not  known  lust,  except  the  law  of  God  said,  *  Thou 
shalt  not  covet.'  ''     (Rom.  7:7.)     Polygamy  was 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  53 

universal  until  the  inspired  Revelation  of  God 
became  the  law  of  nations;  and  just  in  so  far  as 
the  Bible  becomes  the  standard  for  ethical  con- 
duct, to  that  extent  monogamy  becomes  the  law 
in  the  marriage  relation.  We  cannot  go  back  on 
the  facts  of  history.  It  is  the  inspired  Word  of 
God  that  is  helping  the  world  to  be  moral  and 
righteous.  And  here  we  also  find  the  great  motive 
to  holy  living.  God  has  spoken,  He  has  shown 
us  His  love,  and  how  we  ought  to  live.  As  the 
Apostle  Paul  again  says,  **The  love  of  Christ 
constraineth  us'^  (II  Cor.  5:14),  and  as  the 
Apostle  John  declares:  **We  love  Him  because 
He  first  loved  us.''    (I  John  4:19.) 

A  Striking  Fact 

We  have  seen  that  the  Bible  is  different  in  char- 
acter from  all  other  books,  or  literature,  that  its 
Revelation  is  so  uniquely  a  product  of  the  heart 
of  God,  so  bound  up  in  the  life  and  work  of  His 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  that  the  Record  of  this  lofty 
Truth  must  of  necessity  be  an  inspired  Record. 
This  great  Body  of  Redemption  Truth  would  be 
inspired  of  God,  had  it  come  to  the  world  through 
the  person  of  Satan. 

And  this  suggests  the  fact  that  the  inspiration 
of  the  Bible  was  not  wholly  conditioned  upon  the 
character  of  the  men  through  whom  God  made 
known  His  Truth,  but  upon  the  nature,  impor- 
tance, and  purpose  of  the  Truth  itself.  This  fact 
may  serve  to  explain  why  bad  men  have  at  times 


54     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE  . 

been  used  in  preaching  the  Gospel.  We  said  at 
times,  it  is  not  usually  the  case.  They  were  used 
for  no  other  reason  than  that  they  preached  the 
Gospel.  The  thing  they  were  giving  forth  was 
the  inspired  Word  of  God.  This  in  itself  is  proof 
of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible.  If  the  unworthy 
preacher  gives  a  message  on  science,  philosophy, 
or  literature,  God  cannot  use  that  message  and 
by  it  bring  about  spiritual  results.  The  preach- 
ing of  a  bad-living  man  will  to  some  extent  help 
a  community,  provided  he  preaches  the  Gospel, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  preaching  of  a  man 
who  lives  right  will  not  help  a  community  if  he 
preaches  something  apart  from  or  contrary  to  the 
Word  of  God.  God's  Truth,  as  recorded  in  the 
Bible,  is  so  charged  with  heavenly  inspiration 
that  it  would  produce  good  results  if  spoken  by 
men,  angels,  or  devils. 

We  would  not  defend  the  presence  of  bad  men 
in  Christian  pulpits.  We  must  insist  that  our 
spiritual  leaders  be  men  of  God,  for  God  can 
always  use  a  good  man  as  He  cannot  use  a  bad 
man  in  preaching  the  Gospel.  It  is  His  plan  that 
only  Spirit-filled  men  shall  proclaim  His  redeem- 
ing love.  Wholesome  food  would  nourish  our 
bodies  even  if  served  by  dogs.  We  demand  clean 
waiters,  but  it  is  the  food  we  eat  and  not 
the  waiters.  We  demand  clean  ministers,  but 
it  is  the  Bread  of  Heaven  we  eat  and  which 
gives  life  to  our  souls,  and  not  the  servants 
who  serve  that  Bread.    This  is  commonplace,  yet 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  55 

it  serves  to  bring  clearly  before  us  the  fact  that 
the  Bible  is  inspired,  that  it  is  unique  in  power, 
in  character,  and  in  the  purpose  for  which  it  has 
been  given  to  the  world.  We  do  not  say  that  it 
was  once  inspired,  long  ago,  and  that  it  has  grown 
old  and  has  lost  the  vigor  of  its  youth.  We  mean 
to  say  that  it  never  grows  old,  that  it  is  inspired 
to-day  as  it  was  thousands  of  years  ago.  It  is 
tremendously  alive  to-day!  It  energizes  to-day! 
It  is  an  ever-present,  life  possession  for  each  new- 
bom  generation!  Our  children  and  their  chil- 
dren's children  will  rise  up  and  call  this  Book 
blessed.  Everyone  who  reads  it  feels  that  it  is 
a  message  for  him.  Its  Revelation  sweeps  into 
each  soul  as  direct  from  Heaven,  and  no  power 
can  shake  out  that  sweet  conviction.  As  Prof. 
Dyson  Hague,  M.  A.,  has  aptly  put  it :  ^  *  The  Bible 
is  inspiring,  because  inspired;  inspired  because 
inspiring. ' ' 

Is  THE  Word  of  God 

The  character  of  the  Bible  is  such  that  we  can- 
not say,  it  only  contains  the  Word  of  God,  that 
it  is  not  throughout  the  Word  of  God,  that  it  only 
gives  glimpses  here  and  there  of  God's  Truth. 
When  the  Apostle  Paul  said  to  Timothy,  *^A11 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God'' 
(II  Tim.  3:16),  he  meant,  of  course,  the  Old  Tes- 
tament practically  as  it  is  to-day.  The  Apostle 
did  not  say  that  **A11  Scripture  inspired  of  God 
is  profitable,"  as  the  revised  version  has  it,  in  the 


56     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

sense  that  part  of  the  Old  Testament  is  inspired, 
and  part  of  it  is  not,  and  as  it  is  claimed  by  those 
Modernists  who  try  to  deny  the  inspiration  of 
the  Old  Testament ;  for  the  Apostle  Paul  was  here 
saying,  in  a  way  in  which  the  meaning  of  his 
words  cannot  be  gainsaid,  in  the  clearest  pos- 
sible language,  that  the  Old  Testament  is  in- 
spired. ^^All  Scripture  inspired  of  God*'  in- 
cludes all  the  Old  Testament.  All  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  viewed  by  the  Apostle  Paul  as  inspired. 
Peter  said,  in  speaking  of  the  Old  Testament: 
*^For  the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the 
will  of  man;  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they 
were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost. ^»  (II  Pet.  1 :21.) 
Peter  here  refers  to  the  Old  Testament  as  we 
have  it  to-day. 

Originated  with  God 

Before  concluding  this  discussion  on  the  char- 
acter of  the  Revelation  the  Bible  brings  to  men, 
it  should  be  said  that  from  any  conceivable  stand- 
point there  is  no  way  that  we  can  ascribe  this 
Book,  as  having  originated,  or  as  having  been 
created  by  men.  No  true  science  of  anthropology, 
psychology,  or  of  history  will  for  one  moment 
assert  that  the  Bible  is  a  human  product  only, 
giving  the  record  of  the  religious  experiences  of 
the  Hebrew  race.  The  noblest  spirits  everywhere 
testify,  as  men  read  this  Book,  that  its  dominant 
spirit  is  that  of  another  and  higher  order  of  life, 
that  it  has  come  down  from  Heaven  more  than 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  67 

it  has  come  up  from  earth,  that  it  is  a  spiritual 
message  out  from  the  world  of  Spirit,  a  Revela- 
tion of  God's  Plan  for  the  ages,  and  His  great 
love  for  man,  all  of  which  Modernism  flatly 
denies. 

There  are  other  internal  evidences  of  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Bible  which  should  not  be  over- 
looked. 

Testimony  of  Jesus 

We  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ.  It 
should  be  said  that  this  is  one  of  the  most  if  not 
the  most  important,  as  a  Christian  views  the  sub- 
ject, or  as  any  honest  student  must  view  it.  After 
all  that  can  be  said,  the  fact  remains  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Supreme  Wonder  of  the  Book.  He 
7S  the  Heart  of  the  Bible  as  He  is  of  history.  All 
the  Old  Testament  types  and  much  of  its  proph- 
ecies are  fulfilled  in  Him.  As  Dr.  Hague  further 
states,  ^* Christ  is  the  key  to  the  Old  Testament; 
He  only  can  make  clear  its  purposes;  as  He  is 
the  one  grand  theme  of  the  New  Testament.  No 
Jew  can  properly  study  his  own  race  if  he  rejects 
the  Messiahship  of  Jesus.  No  historian  can  write 
a  history  of  the  world  if  he  does  not  put  Christ 
at  its  center.  All  history  points  back  to  Him,  as 
all  history  pointed  forward  to  Him.  Christ  and 
not  the  theory  of  evolution  is  the  key  to  the  inter- 
pretation of  history,  as  He  is  to  the  interpretation 
of  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament. 

*^  Jesus  Christ  is  not  only  the  great  Subject  of 


58     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

the  Bible,  He  is  the  great  Subject  of  humanity. 
Long  after  this  terrible  war  will  have  been  ended 
and  forgotten,  Christ  the  Divine  Son  Incarnate, 
the  Man  of  Calvary  and  the  Open  Grave,  will 
loom  in  the  vision  and  thought  of  men  larger 
than  ever  before."  *^The  Jesus  Myth''  of  the 
New  Theology  cannot  survive. 

'*  Jesus  Christ  is  the  great  Fact  of  history,  but 
He  is  more ;  He  is  the  great  Force  of  history.  He 
is  more  still,  He  is  the  great  future  of  History. 
It  can  be  truly  said  of  the  Bible,  as  it  will  be 
of  the  future  of  the  race,  that  *The  glory  of  God 
doth  lighten  it  and  the  Lamb  is  the  Light  thereof. ' 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Hope  of  the  world,  the  Center 
of  the  world's  desire,  the  Arch  that  spans  history, 
the  Keystone  of  prophecy,  the  Eevealer,  the  Ee- 
deemer,  the  Saviour,  the  Risen,  the  Reigning,  the 
Coming  Lord  and  King.  So  long  as  the  Bible  is 
read,  so  long  will  it  draw  the  hearts  of  men  to 
Christ  as  a  magnet,  and  so  long  will  men  stand 
for  it,  live  for  it,  die  for  it." 

What  did  Jesus  say  about  the  Old  Testament? 
If  He  gave  His  endorsement  to  the  Jewish  Scrip- 
tures, that  to  a  Christian  should  be  the  end  of  all 
argument.    What  did  Jesus  say? 

We  find  that  Jesus  Christ  endorsed  Moses,  the 
Psalms,  and  the  Prophets.  He  declared  that  they 
all  wrote  of  Him.  By  Moses  He  meant  the  Pen- 
tateuch, the  first  five  books  of  the  Bible.  Jesus 
spent  His  ministry,  largely,  in  teaching,  inter- 
preting, and  enforcing  the  Old  Testament.     He 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  59 

was  pre-eminently  a  Bible  preacher.  The  New 
Theology  advocates  seem  to  spend  much  of  their 
time  criticizing  the  Old  Testament,  belittling  it, 
and  yet  they  say  that  Jesus  is  Lord.  What  in- 
consistency, what  humbug!  Has  the  Devil  ever 
had  a  more  sure-enough  bunch  of  moral  idiots 
than  these  men?  Nevertheless,  they  pose  as  hon- 
est seekers  after  Truth.  They  say,  **  These  old 
theology  folks  are  narrow,  unlearned,  ignorant,'* 
etc.  Well,  possibly  some  of  them  are,  but  they 
are  not  a  lot  of  intellectual  tricksters.  They  are 
at  least  consistent.  They  accept  a  premise  and  go 
to  its  conclusion.  They  do  not  say,  as  the  New 
Theology  says,  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  Incar- 
nate Son,  or  God  manifest  in  flesh,  and  then  vir- 
tually throw  it  into  the  teeth  of  Christ  that  He 
was  an  ignoramus  or  a  palpable  liar. 

Jesus  Christ  endorsed  the  Old  Testament  and 
that  is  sufficient.  He  endorsed  those  parts  of  the 
Old  Testament  which  contain  the  miraculous  ele- 
ment, and  which  He  knew  that  men  would  deny. 
He  endorsed  the  account  of  the  miracle  of  the 
manna  in  the  desert  and  said  that  this  manna  was 
a  type  of  Himself,  of  the  true  Bread  which  came 
down  from  heaven,  and  giveth  life  unto  the  world. 
(John  6:32-35.) 

Jesus  Christ  endorsed  the  account  of  Jacob's 
ladder.  He  said  that  this  was  a  type  of  His 
Second  Coming.  Nathaniel  had  just  accepted 
Jesus  as  Messiah  and  Son  of  God,  and  confessed 
Him  as   such.     The  heart  of  the  Master  was 


60     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

moved.  It  seems  that  notliing  so  pleased  Christ 
like  an  acknowledgment  of  His  Deity,  His  Divine 
SonsMp.  It  was  because  Peter  declared  Him  to 
be  the  Son  of  God  and  King  of  Israel  that  Jesus 
made  him  the  chief  spokesman,  the  rock,  the  his- 
torical character  through  whom,  or  upon  whose 
work  on  Pentecost  the  Church  was  established. 
It  touches  the  heart  of  Jesus  Christ  to  say  to 
Him,  **Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.''  Let  us  try 
it  and  watch  for  results.  "Well,  Nathaniel  did  this, 
and  Jesus  honored  him  for  it  in  this  way:  He 
gave  him  a  revelation  of  His  Second  Coming,  and 
interpreted  to  him  the  significance  of  Jacob's 
ladder  on  which  angels  ascended  and  descended. 
Jesus  said  to  Nathaniel,  **  Hereafter  ye  shall  see 
Heaven  open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  Man." 
(John  1:5L) 

We  have  also  the  testimony  of  Jesus  to  the 
ancient  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  (Matt. 
10:15.) 

And  we  have  His  endorsement  of  the  histo- 
ricity of  the  account  of  Jonah  and  the  whale. 
Jesus  declares  in  the  face  of  an  ignorant,  scoffing 
world,  that  this  miracle  was  one  of  the  types 
which  God  designed  in  history  should  pre-figure 
the  burial  and  Eesurrection  of  His  Son.  The  type 
was  a  miracle,  befitting  its  ante-type,  or  its  his- 
torical fulfillment,  which  was  a  miracle.  The 
Jews  then  as  now  were  skeptical  as  to  the  Deity 
of  Jesus,  hence  they  asked  for  a  sign  of  His 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  '    61 

Messiahship.  Jesus  told  them  that,  **No  sign 
would  be  given  them  except  the  sign  of  the 
prophet  Jonas/'  (Luke  11:29-30.)  ^*And  as 
Jonah  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the 
whale's  belly,"  or  as  the  twentieth  century  New 
Testament  has  it,  **For  just  as  Jonah  was  inside 
the  sea  monster  three  days  and  three  nights,  so 
shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  three  days  and  three 
nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth."  (Matt.  12 :40.) 
What  better  sign  could  they  have  than  this,  of  the 
Divine  character  of  Jesus,  the  thing  which  told 
them  of  His  Resurrection? 

Jesus  Christ  endorsed  the  miracle  of  the  brazen 
serpent  and  Israel's  healing  by  looking  thereto, 
declaring  that  this  miracle  was  a  type  of  His 
Cross  and  its  healing  power.     (John  3:14-15.) 

Numerous  other  illustrations  might  be  sub- 
mitted showing  clearly  how  our  Lord  viewed  the 
Old  Testament  as  the  Word  of  God.  He  referred 
to  the  ancient  Scriptures  over  and  over  again  as 
an  endorsement  of  His  own  character  and  mis- 
sion. The  Old  Testament  He  used  as  the  warp 
and  woof  of  His  teachings.  To  reject  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, therefore,  is  to  reject  Jesus  Christ,  and 
to  reject  Him  is  likewise  a  rejection  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

Infidel  Theology 

But  what  have  we  here  on  our  hands  in  many 
of  our  educational  institutions  and  churches? 
We   have   a  new  infidel  theology,   camouflaged 


62     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

somewhat  by  the  cloak  of  religion  and  respecta- 
bility, and  made  largely  in  the  universities,  and 
which  denies  the  inspiration  of  both  Old  and 
New  Testament.  They  call  it  the  New  The- 
ology, but  it  is  old,  very  old,  older  than  the 
Gospel;  it  originated  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
when  Satan  said,  reject  the  counsel  of  God, 
**Eat  it  (the  forbidden  fruit),  thou  shalt  not 
surely  die.''  (Gen.  3:4-5.)  The  New  Theology 
refers  to  the  Old  Testament  miracles  as  ** myths,'' 
*  legends,"  *  traditions,"  which  contain  spiritual 
lessons,  while  Jesus  Christ  referred  to  them  as 
historical  facts,  as  He  did  to  all  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. 

The  conflict  that  this  New  Theology,  this  old 
rehashed  Unitarianism,  has  brought  into  the  edu- 
cational institutions,  and  into  many  of  the 
churches,  is  threatening  their  very  existence.  It 
is  not  a  conflict  with  the  writer  and  other  men 
who  are  putting  their  life  in  the  breach  made 
by  these  poor  deluded  men,  to  rally  the  slumber- 
ing forces  of  the  churches  everywhere,  to  fight 
this  thing  and  drive  it  back  to  Hell  from  whence 
it  came,  and  thus  save  Evangelical  Christianity 
for  America  and  the  world.  No,  it  is  not  pri- 
marily that,  but  it  is  essentially  a  conflict  with 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Author  of  Salvation,  the 
Founder  of  Christianity.  Of  course,  these  Mod- 
ernists do  not  say  this,  namely,  that  they  are 
fighting  Jesus  Christ,  but  do  not  let  us  be  de- 
ceived, for  this  is  the  job  they  have  undertaken. 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  63 

With  soft,  smooth,  oily  words  they  would  deny 
our  contention.  But  we  understand  this  conflict. 
Here  is  their  purpose :  To  reject  Jesus  Christ  as 
the  Son  of  God,  to  make  Him  appear  to  the  world 
as  a  human  being  only,  a  good  man,  a  preacher  of 
righteousness,  wiiile  the  most  radical  of  these 
critics  declare  that  Jesus  was  only  a  myth.  Do 
not  let  any  New  Theology  advocate  deceive  you 
as  to  this.  Our  battle  cry  in  an  age  of  unbelief 
is  for  the  Divine  character  work  and  authority 
of  the  Eternal  Son  of  God.  Our  mission  in  part 
to-day  is  to  expose  and  destroy  this  church-kill- 
ing New  Theology  propaganda.  It  can  be  de- 
feated. It  should  be  defeated.  This  European 
invasion  of  our  institutions  here  in  America  is 
more  serious  than  would  be  the  invasion  by  a 
foreign  army.  In  the  latter  case  they  would 
ravish  our  country,  as  they  have  done  in  Bel- 
gium. x\nd  is  there  greater  crime  than  this? 
Yes,  even  blacker  than  this  is  the  crime  of  reject- 
ing the  Word  of  God,  and  destroying  the  foun- 
dation of  our  civilization,  and  turning  the  clock 
of  time  back  to  the  age  of  barbarism,  hopeless- 
ness, and  despair! 

Church  Union  Not  Oue  Greatest  Need 

The  great  need  is  not  for  Church  Union,  though 
we  should  believe  in  the  unity  of  the  one  true 
Church  of  Christ,  but  to  destroy  the  New  The- 
ology and  drive  it  from  our  institutions.  We 
welcome  Church  Union  on  the  New  Testament 


64     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

basis,  the  basis  of  the  Truth.  We  should  desire 
fellowship  with  all  those  who  love  Christ  and 
His  Truth,  and  labor  and  pray  for  the  unity  of 
the  true  Christ — the  Body  of  Christ.  But  union 
will  probably  come  by  addition  more  than  by  sub- 
traction and  only  on  the  Word  of  God.  If  the 
New  Theology  gets  in  the  ascendency  it  will  in- 
evitably divide  the  Evangelical  Bodies  and  result 
in  adding  further  schism  to  organized  Chris- 
tianity, for  true  believers  will  not  fellowship  with 
those  who  reject  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God 
and  the  Deity  of  Christ.  When  Christians  are 
ready  to  accept  the  New  Testament  teachings, 
and  simplicity  and  democracy,  ayid  reject  eccle- 
siastical autocracy,  as  a  basis  of  unity,  then  we 
shall  see  it  realized.  Those  who  hope  to  see 
Christian  Union  brought  about  by  getting  Chris- 
tians to  co-operate  in  some  form  of  religious 
effort  are  doomed  to  failure.  It  must  be  on  the 
only  true  Foundation  laid — which  is  Jesus  Christ. 
But  the  call  to-day  is  to  defeat  and  destroy  the 
New  Theology  apostasy  in  all  our  institutions  and 
Denominations  and  thus  conserve  true  Chris- 
tianity for  the  whole  world. 

We  should  have  no  fear  for  the  Bible ;  what  we 
fear  is  the  influence  of  the  money  power  in  the 
hands  of  the  few,  and  these  few  making  war  with 
the  New  Theology  on  Evangelical  Religion  and 
the  inspiration  and  authority  of  the  Bible.  We 
fear  for  the  effect  of  this  propaganda  on  the  life 
of  the  present  and  coming  generations,  though  its 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  65 

falsity  must  in  due  time  be  manifest.  God's 
Truth  must  ultimately  win,  and  because  we  know 
this,  notice  is  given  that  the  enemies  of  Christ 
will  be  defeated  and  destroyed,  that  in  the  mani- 
festation of  His  power,  in  the  day  of  the  universal 
triumph  of  His  Kingdom  Modernism  will  have  no 
place. 

Its  Plan 

The  last  proof  we  would  give  as  to  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Bible  is  its  Unity,  its  Plan. 

There  is  a  plan  back  of  the  Bible.  This  Book 
sticks  together  like  a  building,  or  better,  like  the 
human  body.  Back  of  all  the  varied  materials 
out  of  which  the  Bible  has  been  made,  there  is  a 
plan  drawn  up  by  the  great  Architect.  There  is 
a  Mind  back  of  the  Bible. 

Go  to  yonder  vacant  lot  and  you  will  find  much 
material,  there  is  brick  and  mortar  and  stone  and 
lumber.  What  does  it  mean?  A  building  is  to 
be  erected  there.  If  we  go  back  later  we  shall  find 
a  magnificent  edifice,  that  all  those  disconnected 
materials  have  been  united  together  in  one  solid, 
beautiful  structure,  making  clear  that  there  was 
back  of  this  an  architect  and  a  plan. 

So  it  is  with  the  Bible. 

Anyone  who  has  studied  the  history  and  the 
origin  of  the  Bible  must  be  struck  with  its  for- 
mation. As  Professor  Dyson  Hague  has  well 
said: 

That  it  ever  was  a  book,  and  is  to-day  the  Book  of  the 


66     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

world  is  really  a  literary  miracle.  There  was  never  any  order 
given  to  any  man  to  plan  the  Bible,  nor  was  there  any 
concerted  plan  given  to  any  body  of  men  to  write  the  Bible. 
The  way  the  Bible  came  to  be  is  one  of  the  great  mysteries. 
One  man  wrote  in  Arabia,  another  in  Syria,  a  third  in  Pales- 
tine, another  in  Greece  and  Italy;  and  some  wrote  hundreds 
of  years  after  or  before  the  others,  and  the  first  part  was 
written  about  sixteen  hundred  years  before  the  last  man  who 
wrote  was  born. 

Men's  books  are  not  made  that  way.  A  man  thinks  it  out, 
gathers  his  material,  and  within  a  few  years  his  book  is  com- 
pleted. But  the  creation  of  the  Bible  covers  a  span  of  sixty 
generations,  and  its  creation  enlarges  our  conception  of  the 
patience  and  wisdom  of  God.  Slowly  the  great  Book  grew, 
here  a  little,  there  a  little,  and  at  last  it  came  forth  in  its 
completeness  before  the  world.  And  so  the  New  Testament 
as  the  Old  grew  without  any  pre-arranged  plan.  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke  and  John  did  not  consult  one  another,  as  neither 
did  Paul  and  Peter  and  James  and  John.  They  wrote  as 
they  felt  the  need  and  the  mai'velous  unity  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament is  the  result.  The  Bible  is  a  marvel;  it  is  transcen- 
dental: it  is  the  miracle  of  all  literature  in  its  formation; 
and  yet  in  it  we  have  perfect  harmony,  order,  sequence 
throughout. 


The  explanation?    God  I 

The  Bible  is  a  collection  of  sixty-six  books;  it  is  a  library 
written  by  thirty  or  forty  different  authors,  in  three  different 
languages,  upon  totally  different  topics,  under  different  cir- 
cumstances, and  yet  it  is  a  unit.  It  is  made  up  of  history, 
biography,  theology,  poetry,  prophecy,  philosophy,  jurispru- 
dence, genealogy,  ethnology,  narrative  of  adventure,  travel 
of  romantic  interest,  and  yet  it  is  a  unit,  the  one  great  idea 
of  redemption  for  men  permeates  it  throughout. 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  67 

The  explanation?     God! 

We  never  think  of  it  now  as  sixty-six  books,  but  one  book. 
Why  does  the  Bible  live?  Why  is  it  known  and  loved  in 
every  land?  The  Germans  know,  with  few  exceptions,  only 
German  authors.  The  English  know,  with  few  exceptions, 
only  English  authors.  And  only  a  few  writers  as  Dante, 
Goethe,  Shakespeare  have  overleaped  national  boundaries 
and  become  known  by  other  countries.  But  the  Bible  has 
overleaped  the  boundaries  of  all  nationality  and  time.  It 
was  written  in  a  language  that  is  now  dead,  and  by  men  who 
died  thousands  of  years  ago,  yet  it  is  the  most  vital  and 
widely  circulated  book  in  the  world. 

The  explanation?  God!  The  Plan  and  Unity 
of  the  Bible  are  proof  of  its  inspiration. 

If  men  have  any  doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  the 
New  Testament,  let  them  study  the  promise  by 
Jesus  Christ  of  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  how  that  promise  was  fulfilled  after  His  de- 
parture, exactly  as  He  had  foretold. 

Read  the  Bible 

Another  word  from  Professor  Hague: 

We  need  say  no  more — except,  read  the  Book.  As  Sir 
Walter  Scott  once  said:  "In  the  whole  world  it  is  The  Book; 
all  other  books  are  mere  leaves,  fragments.  Read  and  obey 
this  universal  Book — the  eternal  Book.  It  is  the  one  great 
commanding  Voice!  All  other  voices  are  in  comparison  as 
dying  whispers.  Read  this  Book  which  is  unapproachable  in 
grandeur,  and  is  high  above  all  other  books  as  heaven  is  above 
earth,  as  the  Son  of  God  is  above  the  sons  of  men.  Do  not 
read  it  as  you  read  other  books,  as  you  would  study  or 
analyze  a  book  in  literature  or  science.    No.    Read  this  Book 


68     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

with  becoming  reverence.  Put  off  thy  shoes  from  off  thy 
feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy  ground. 
Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  who  gave  it  to  help  you.  Read  this 
Book — supernatural  in  origin;  inexpressible  in  value;  infinite 
in  scope;  divine  in  authorship,  though  human  in  penman- 
ship; regenerative  in  power;  infallible  in  authority;  personal 
in  application;  inspired  in  totality. 

My  fellow  traveler,  to  repeat  Mr.  Hague's 
words:  **Eead  this  Book/'  and  when  the  loved 
ones  gather  to  bid  us  farewell,  we  shall  find  a 
comfort  that  no  language  can  express,  for  this  is 
the  book  which  assures  the  Saints  that  in  Heaven 
there  are  no  broken  ties,  no  parting,  no  farewells. 

We  close  with  a  quotation  from  an  unknown 
author : 

The  Bible  contains  the  Mind  of  God,  the  state  of  man, 
the  doom  of  the  impenitent,  and  the  eternal  happiness  of 
believers  in  Christ.  Its  doctrines  are  holy,  its  precepts  bind- 
ing, its  histories  true,  its  decisions  immutable.  Read  it  to  be 
wise,  believe  it  to  be  safe,  practice  it  to  be  holy.  It  con- 
tains light  to  direct  you,  food  to  support  you.  It  is  the 
Christian's  charter.  Christ  is  its  subject,  our  good  its  design, 
and  the  glory  of  God  its  end. 

Thus  we  have  taken  a  glance  at  the  Bible,  its 
character  and  inspiration.  But  all  these  glorious 
facts  Modernism  denies.  Its  mission  is  to  tear 
down,  to  destroy.  It  would  even  pull  down  the 
Son  of  God  from  His  throne.  The  mission  of 
the  truth,  however,  is  to  build  up  and  bless  and 
save.  Wliich  is  our  choice,  the  New  or  the  Old 
Theology? 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  THE 
DEATH  OF  CHRIST 

In  this  comparative  study  of  the  New  Theology 
of  Modernism  and  fundamental  Christian  Truth, 
as  the  former  is  seen  to-day  in  religious  educa- 
tion in  both  church  and  college,  it  is  necessary  to 
examine  the  attack  of  Modernism  on  the  New 
Testament  teachings  regarding  the  death  of 
Christ.  It  would  be  well  to  submit  a  few  of  the 
many  outstanding  passages  against  which  Mod- 
ernism is  at  war,  before  presenting  the  points  of 
view  of  both  New  and  Old  Theology.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  these  passages  are  among  the  most 
striking  statements  or  revelations  to  be  found  in 
the  Bible. 

"And  ye  know  that  he  was  manifested  to  take  away  sins; 
and  in  him  is  no  sin."  (I  John  3:5.)  "So  Christ  was  once 
offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many."  (Heb.  9:28.)  "And  he 
is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but 
also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  (I  John  2:2.)  "The 
Twentieth  Century  New  Testament"  rendered  this  passage: 
"And  he  is  the  atoning  sacrifice  for  our  sins." 

In  the  light  of  these,  and  many  other  similar 
passages  which  could  be  quoted,  we  shall  now  ad- 
vance to  discuss  the  death  of  Christ. 


70     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

We  would  say  at  the  outset,  in  the  ^vords  of 
Professor  Franklin  Johnson,  that,  **  These  Pas- 
sages are  an  example  of  the  almost  countless 
declarations  in  God's  Word  of  a  Substitutionary 
Atonement.  If  we  reject  the  doctrine  we  do  it 
at  our  peril.  Any  speculation  which  sets  itself 
against  this  mighty  current  of  revelation  flowing 
through  the  Bible  is  destined  to  be  swept  away,'' 
as  the  great  Niagara  sweeps  away  a  dust  cloud. 

This  chapter  consists  of  a  comparative  study 
of  The  New  Theology  of  Modernism  and  the 
death  of  Christ.  The  religious  conflict  to-day  be- 
tween unbelief,  philosophy,  and  the  destructive 
criticism  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  naked  facts 
of  the  Bible  on  the  other,  has  for  its  principle 
battle-ground  the  Substitutionary  Atonement. 
Modernism  is  attacking  all  along  the  line  the  New 
Testament  teachings  regarding  the  Cross  and  all 
subsequent  Revelation,  especially  the  Resurrec- 
tion and  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ,  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  those  who  believe  the  Bible  to  come 
to  the  defense  of  the  Gospel.  To  this  Christians 
are  as  truly  called  to-day  as  was  the  Apostle  Paul 
in  his  day.  Of  course  it  need  hardly  be  stated 
that  the  substitutionary  death  of  Christ  for  sin- 
ful men  is  an  unpopular  truth,  glorious  though  it 
be.  While  advocates  of  the  New  Theology  are 
opposed  to  this  great  truth,  nevertheless  they  do 
not  welcome  a  public  discussion  of  it.  Some  of 
the  most  advanced  of  the  Modernists  affirm  that 
'*no  modern  man  believes  in  the  Atonement  and 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    71 

justification  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  these, 
and  the  Second  Coming  Revelation,  are  divisive 
doctrines,  unpractical,  nor  necessary  to  the 
brotherhood  of  man.''  Doubtless,  the  offense  of 
the  Cross,  of  which  the  Apostle  long  ago  wrote, 
has  not  yet  ceased;  for  at  salvation  through  the 
blood  philosophers  still  smile  and  wag  their 
heads.  Yet  multitudes  are  interested  to  know  the 
Truth.  Somehow  there  seems  to  be  an  intuitive 
feeling,  a  deep  conviction  in  the  human  heart  that 
there  is  some  profound  significance  in  the  death 
of  Christ,  that  will  not  down ;  that  it  has  in  it  the 
drawing  power  of  the  Unseen — the  tenacity,  vital- 
ity, and  persistency  of  God.  The  Cross  therefore 
should  call  forth,  not  our  apology,  but  our  exulta- 
tion. 

Teaching  of  Modeknism 

The  teaching  of  Modernism  is,  that  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  atonement  by  or  salvation  through 
the  sacrifice  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  They 
stoutly  reject  the  words  atonement,  substitution, 
sin-bearer,  propitiation.  Their  contention  is  that 
man  is  saved  by  himself,  by  his  ovm  efforts,  good 
works,  or  by  his  own  character,  as  he  responds 
to  the  best  impulses  of  his  nature;  and  that  in 
this  he  is  aided  by  the  idealism  or  example  of 
Jesus ;  that  it  is  ideas  that  save  men  and  not  the 
very  life  and  power  of  God ;  that  the  only  signifi- 
cance in  the  death  of  Christ  is  that  God  is  for- 
bearing and  loving  towards  men.    They  declare 


72     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

that  all  men  are  the  children  of  God ;  that  human 
nature  is  Divine;  that  it  is  not  sinful  only  as  we 
make  it  sinful;  that  man  by  nature  is  not  alien- 
ated from  God  by  sin ;  that  man  has  never  fallen ; 
that  he  is  always  rising,  advancing;  that  he  can 
save  himself  by  morally  developing  his  own 
character. 

The  trouble  with  this  kind  of  doctrine  is:  it 
cannot  convert  anybody  to  anything  except  to  an 
idea,  nor  determine  human  character  and  destiny. 
This  thing  is  like  the  thistle-down,  it  has  no  prop- 
agating life  in  it. 

If  we  will  go  to  any  religious  service  where 
Modernism  is  lectured  about  and  hear  a  person 
get  up  in  meeting  and  say,  *  *  I  was  made  a  Chris- 
tian here  under  the  pastor's  lectures,''  then  we 
shall  take  this  all  back  and  apologize  to  the  Uni- 
tarian lecturer.  But  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  a 
bad  man  ever  was  or  could  be  changed  into  a  good 
man  under  the  preaching  of  the  New  Theology. 

MoEAx.  Influence  Theoky 

The  teachers  of  Modernism  say  that  the 
** Moral  Influence  Theory"  explains  all  there  is 
in  the  death  of  Christ.  What  they  mean  by  that 
is  that  Jesus  exerts  a  good  influence  on  men  by 
His  death.  But  so  does  every  martyr  exert  a 
good  influence  who  dies  for  righteousness'  sake. 
If  the  author  of  this  message  were  crucified  be- 
cause he  dared  to  tell  the  truth,  many  would  say, 
*<Well,  truly,  he  was  a  good  man,  he  was  a 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    73 

prophef  But  that  feeling  would  not  deeply 
affect  the  world,  it  would  not  redeem  from  sin. 
No,  a  thousand  times  no.  True,  it  would  exert, 
for  the  passing  moment,  a  good  influence,  it  would 
reveal  great  love,  but  it  would  not  change  the 
lives  of  men,  nor  redeem  them  from  sin.  And 
precisely  so  it  would  be  with  Christ,  if  that  were 
all  He  did  by  His  death — to  reveal  human  love,  to 
exert  a  good  influence  upon  men,  to  make  clear 
that  He  was  true  to  His  principles,  brave  to  the 
last.  That  in  itself  would  never  save  this  sinning 
world.  If  the  ** Moral  Influence  Theory"  pre- 
sents the  true  meaning  of  the  death  of  Jesus 
Christ  then  we  may  look  to  the  martyrs  for  salva- 
tion as  hopefully  as  we  may  look  to  Christ.  The 
trouble  with  Modernism  is  it  would  whittle  the 
Cross  away  until  we  see  in  it  only  a  good  example 
of  patient,  suffering  love,  but  our  self-sacrificing 
mothers  and  grandmothers  revealed  in  character, 
to  this  world,  the  same  kind  of  a  cross.  The  New 
Theology  practically  teaches  that  the  only  differ- 
ence between  man^s  cross  and  the  Cross  of  Christ 
is  one  of  degree.  ** Christ,"  they  say,  ** being 
purer,  holier,  revealed  more  of  the  love  of  God 
than  man  reveals;  but  the  revelation  is  the  same 
in  character." 

Thus  we  have  given  a  fair  statement  of  the 
teaching  of  the  New  Theology,  or  as  they  say, 
**the  modern  point  of  view  of  religion,"  as  to 
our  Lord^s  death.  To  say  less  would  be  unfair 
to  these  teachers ;  for  we  are  now  discussing  one 


74     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

of  the  most  momentous  questions  in  the  religious 
world.  We  must  get  deep  beneath  the  surface, 
and  at  the  facts.  Everything,  according  to  the 
Scriptures,  hinges  on  this  truth.  Why  did  Jesus 
Christ  die?    What  does  it  all  mean?    Let  us  see. 

The  Old  Theology 

We  shall  see  that  the  Old  Theology  is  con- 
structed on  the  Scriptures.  The  Bible  teaches 
that  our  Lord  died  as  a  Substitute  for  men;  that 
by  His  death  God  transferred  sacrifice  from  man 
to  Himself ;  that  in  His  death  Christ  offered  Him- 
self up  as  an  ** atoning  sacrifice''  to  God  for  the 
sins  of  the  entire  human  family — all  the  sins  that 
have  been  committed  from  Adam  to  the  present 
time,  and  that  ever  will  be  committed.  This  then 
is  what  the  Scripture  teaches,  and  what  we  can 
well  afford  to  believe.  It  is  clear  that  the  Cross 
was  a  Divine,  a  Supernatural  work,  therefore  a 
perfect  work.  We  need  not  believe  this  as  **mere 
theology.''  The  ** atoning  sacrifice"  was  an  un- 
veiling of  the  heart  of  God.  By  it  we  know  the 
kind  of  God  we  have;  as  by  it  also  we  know  the 
kind  of  men  we  are;  our  need,  our  worth,  the 
depths  to  which  man  by  sin  has  fallen ;  but  withal 
our  magnificent  possibilities,  and  the  heights  to 
which  by  grace  we  may  attain. 

Li  the  words  of  that  eminent  physician.  Dr. 
Kelly  of  Johns  Hopkins,  we  would  say:  **We  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  without 
human  father,  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    75 

born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  lived  in  a  human 
body  for  the  purpose  of  dying  on  the  *  accursed 
tree,'  to  redeem  man  from  the  dominion  and 
power  of  Satan,  sin  and  death. 

'  *  We  believe  that  all  men  are  by  nature  sinners, 
alienated  from  God,  utterly  lost,  and  that  the  Son 
of  God  came  to  seek  and  save  by  his  atoning 
death  this  lost  race  of  men,  that  in  His  death  He 
paid  the  Infinite  penalty  of  the  sin  and  guilt  of 
the  whole  world. 

**The  Old  Theology  further  claims  that  he  who 
receives  the  Lord  Jesus  as  his  Saviour  is  born 
again  spiritually,  that  he  is  now  one  body  with 
Christ — the  Head — and  will  live  with  Him  for- 
ever. 

**We  believe  that  no  man  is  saved  by  his  own 
good  works,  by  the  cultivation  of  his  own  char- 
acter, that  good  works  are  the  result  of  salvation, 
or  of  being  in  a  saved  state,  that  guilty  sinners 
are  saved  only  through  faith,  on  the  basis  of  the 
finished  work  of  Christ  in  man's  behalf.'' 

It  might  be  added  that  the  Old  Theology 
further  teaches  that  sin  did  not  take  God  by  sur- 
prise, that  in  eternity  the  Cross  was  planned,  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  *  ^  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world"  (Rev.  13:8),  that  Adam's 
Fall  brought  into  our  race  the  awful  fact  of  sin 
and  death,  as  God  forewarned  it  would  do,  and 
that  Christ  as  the  perfect  Representative  of  both 
God  and  man,  came  to  redeem  man  from  all  the 
consequences  of  his  sin.     The  momentous  ques- 


76     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

tion  now  for  man  to  decide  is,  will  he  accept 
Christ  and  live,  or  will  he  reject  Christ  and 
perish?  Will  he  believe  the  Record  that  God  has 
given  concerning  His  Son,  or  will  he  make  God 
a  liar  and  die  in  his  sins? 

Principal  Objections 

But  to  this  real  Gospel  we  hear  objections  from 
Modernism.  Let  us  state  some  of  their  objections 
to  salvation  by  grace  through  the  * '  atoning  sacri- 
fice'* and  risen  life  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Many  persons  who  have  only  a  superficial  kaowl- 
edge  of  the  Bible,  and  who  want  an  easier  way 
than  God's  way — the  way  of  the  Cross — are 
easily  led  away  by  these  objections.  The  Devil 
has  a  way  of  making  error  appear  plausible.  Let 
us  examine  their  objections  to  the  Atonement  of 
Christ. 

Objection  1 

"Atonement  Not  Found  in  New  Testament'' 

They  say,  *  *  The  word  atonement  is  not  found  in 
the  New  Testament."  An  advocate  of  Modern- 
ism was  heard  to  boast  of  this  in  his  pulpit.  He 
said,  **Find  it  in  the  New  Testament  if  you  can." 
Even  a  noted  theologian — a  New  Theology  one — 
said  before  his  students  the  same  thing:  **The 
word  atonement  is  not  found  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment," the  inference  being,  if  the  word  is  not 
found  there  the  fact  of  the  Atonement  is  not 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    77 

there.  This  objection,  however,  is  captious.  We 
open  the  New  Testament  and  in  the  first  epistle 
of  John  2 :2,  we  find  these  words :  **  And  He  is  the 
propitiation  for  our  sins;  and  not  for  ours  only, 
but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.*'  The 
term  propitiation  here  signifies  atonement,  and  is 
so  translated  in  **The  Twentieth  Century  New 
Testament.'' 

When  the  teacher  of  Modernism  makes  a  state- 
ment as  to  what  the  Bible  teaches  it  is  seldom  safe 
to  accept  it  until  first  an  investigation  has  been 
made,  for  these  men  are  habitually  misrepresent- 
ing the  Bible.  It  is  astonishing  how  ignorant 
many  of  these  teachers  appear  to  be  of  the  Bible. 
They  are  always  studying  and  teaching  what 
other  men  think  about  the  Bible  and  not  what  the 
Bible  says  of  itself.  The  Bible  is  its  own  inter- 
preter. As  the  Apostle  Paul  says,  to  know  the 
Bible  we  must  ^'Compare  Scripture  with  Scrip- 
ture" (I  Cor.  2:13),  not  compare  Dr.  Jones  with 
Dr.  Smith,  etc. 

.  .  .  Even  if  the  word  atonement  were  not  in 
the  New  Testament  we  have  the  fact  of  the  Atone- 
ment plainly  stated.  And  a  fact  revealed  is  the 
important  thing.  Here  are  some  of  the  passages 
without  regard  to  special  order:  **And  ye  know 
that  He  was  manifested  to  take  away  our  sins; 
and  in  Him  is  no  sin."  (I  John  3:5).  *'So  Christ 
was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many." 
(Heb.  9 :28.)  **  And  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins ;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins 


78     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

of  the  whole  world/'  (IJohn2:2.)  **  Whom  God 
sent  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in 
his  blood,  to  declare  His  righteousness  for  the 
remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through  the  for- 
bearance of  God.''  (Rom.  3:25.)  ^^Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  (John  1 :29.)  ^^Even  as  the  Son  of  man 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister, 
and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many."  (Matt. 
20:28.)  ^^For  He  hath  made  Him  to  be  sin  for 
us,  who  knew  no  sin;  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  Him."  (II  Cor.  5:21.) 
''By  the  which  will  we  are  sanctified  through  the 
offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for  all. ' ' 
(Heb.  10:10.) 

Would  not  the  average  man  conclude  that  these 
passages  clearly  reveal  that  Jesus  died  as  man's 
Substitute,  and  made  atonement  for  guilty  men? 
Do  they  not  all  seem  to  be  clearly  condensed  in 
these  words,  ''And  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins?"  If  these  passages  were  submitted  to  a 
jury  for  a  verdict  as  to  what  they  teach,  their 
decision  would  be  unanimous  that  Jesus  Christ 
made  an  atonement  for  sin  by  His  death  on  the 
Cross.  We  have  no  need  to  show  what  the  New 
Testament  writers  say  the  result  of  the  Atone- 
ment is.  Note  one  reference  only.  The  Apostle 
Paul  said  that  it  has  brought  about  the  reconcilia- 
tion of  God  to  man,  and  this  should  be  cause  for 
great  rejoicing.    In  it  God  is  now  reconciled  to 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    79 

man  in  Christ,  and  by  the  Atonement  man  may 
now  become  reconciled  to  God.     (Romans.) 

Objection  2 

**SiN  AND  Guilt  Not  Teansferable'^ 

Here  is  another  objection.  They  say  that  *^sin 
and  guilt  are  not  transferable. ' '  A  widely  known 
New  Theology  teacher  used  to  try  to  make  much 
of  this  in  his  classroom.  This  is  one  of  the  popu- 
lar objections  advanced  in  the  effort  to  prove  that 
Christ  did  not  offer  Himself  as  an  **  atoning  sac- 
rifice *'  to  God.  This  objection  also  is  captious. 
It  presents  a  feeble  effort  to  evade  the  real  issue 
involved  in  our  Lord's  death,  and  to  oppose  Reve- 
lation by  reason,  and  not  the  highest  tj^e  of 
reason. 

Sin  and  guilt  are  not  transferable  as  between 
men;  but  men  may  be  sharers  of  the  sin  and  guilt 
of  others.  It  is  not  fair  to  compare  the  relation 
that  obtains  between  men  to  the  relation  that  ob- 
tains between  Christ  and  men.  There  are  no 
existing  human  relations  by  which  we  can  wholly 
illustrate  the  latter,  for  Christ  was  God,  and 
Christ  could  do  a  work  that  men  could  not  do  in 
their  relations  to  each  other.  This  fact  should 
ever  be  remembered.  Modernism  is  at  war 
against  the  power  or  ability  of  God  to  do  by  the 
death  of  Christ  a  certain  work  for  man.  More- 
over, these  men  assume  to  be  capable  judges  as 
to  what  God  is  able  or  not  able  to  do  for  men. 


80     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

The  Scriptures  say  that  Christ  died  as  a  Substi- 
tute for  man,  but  the  New  Theology  says  that 
Christ  could  not  do  this;  consequently,  the  ques- 
tion is,  whom  shall  we  believe?  Their  assump- 
tion is  one  of  great  boldness,  as  it  involves  a 
denial  of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God. 

In  our  Lord's  death  for  mankind  it  is  evident 
that  He  was  not  actually  guilty  of  the  sins  of 
others,  but  He  judicially  assumed  the  sin  and 
guilt  of  men ;  thus  in  His  death  sin  and  guilt  were, 
in  this  sense,  transferred.  The  Apostle  Peter 
says:  **Who  His  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  His 
own  body  on  the  tree.''  (I  Peter  2:24.)  The  re- 
lation our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  sustained  to  men 
and  to  God  was  judicial  and  official,  yet  essen- 
tially a  moral  relation;  that  is  to  say:  a  relation 
within  the  realm  of  moral  law.  He  was  in  His 
death  as  He  is  in  His  life  the  Representative  of 
both  God  and  man.  The  Scriptures  affirm  that 
sin  transgressed  God's  law,  the  penalty  of  which 
is  death,  and  that  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  Represen- 
tative of  man,  took  this  penalty  upon  Himself 
and  offered  Himself  up  to  God  as  man's  Substi- 
tute, man's  sin-bearer.  Thus  He  lifted  the  pen- 
alty of  human  sin ;  and  as  a  consequence,  man  is 
given  an  opportunity  to  go  free  from  it  by  accept- 
ing Jesus  Christ.  As  our  Lord  Himself  said: 
**He  gave  His  life  as  a  ransom  for  many." 
(Matt.  20:28.)  And  we  should  note  how  well 
pleased  God  was  with  this  redeeming  work,  for  it 
was  prompted  by  his  own  eternal  love.    Man's 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    81 

sin  and  guilt,  therefore,  were  judicially  trans- 
ferred to  Christ,  who  could  not  take  the  penalty 
of  one  without  the  penalty  of  the  other.  And  now 
the  soul  that  accepts  Christ,  God  cannot  reckon 
as  guilty  but  looks  upon  such  a  one  as  pardoned, 
acquitted,  justified,  that  is,  reckoned  as  sinless, 
set  free  from  sin.  God  can  never  again  have  any 
claim  against  that  one  on  account  of  past  sins. 
This  is  the  glorious  Gospel  with  which  the  New 
Theology  is  at  war. 

Jesus  Christ  in  His  death  dealt  effectually  with 
sin  and  guilt.  Sin  and  guilt  are  inseparable. 
When  man  is  saved  through  the  merits  of  Christ 
he  loses  his  sense  of  guilt;  in  some  cases  instan- 
taneously ;  in  other  cases  gradually ;  as  thousands 
can  witness.  The  saved  can  now  hold  up  their 
heads  in  society.  Formerly  they  were  bowed  by 
the  sense  and  shame  of  wrong-doing,  as  David 
said,  **Mine  iniquities  have  taken  hold  on  me  so 
that  I  am  not  able  to  look  up*'  (Ps.  40:12) ;  but 
now  they  look  up  and  laugh  and  sing,  because  of 
the  new  consciousness  of  freedom  from  sin  and 
guilt.  Herein  then  is  the  great  miracle  of  Divine 
grace.  They  remember  their  past  sins  hut  the 
guilt  has  gone.  How  triumphantly  the  Apostle 
Paul  affirms  it:  ** There  is  therefore  now  no  con- 
demnation to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus'' 
(Rom.  8:1);  no  condemnation  from  without,  nor 
from  within,  conscience  is  now  at  rest,  for  guilt 
has  gone. 

Wliy  did  guilt  depart  when  the  soul  accepted 


82     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Jesus  as  Redeemer  and  Lord?  The  answer  is 
clear.  The  Holy  Spirit  applied  the  merits  of  the 
Saviour's  death,  as  also  the  power  of  His  living 
life  to  the  soul,  hence  sin  and  guilt  must  depart. 
The  redeemed  man  is  now  living  in  the  new  ele- 
ment of  Spirit  where,  before  God,  he  is  covered 
by  the  merits  of  the  precious  blood  of  Christ. 
God  has  given  the  saved  in  Christ  a  new  sense,  a 
sense  of  freedom  from  the  power,  dominion  and 
guilt  of  sin. 

Thus  it  has  been  shown  that  sin  and  guilt  were 
judicially  transferred  to  Christ  and  that  in  His 
death  He  made  provision  for  their  removal.  If 
this  is  not  the  case,  how  account  for  the  testimony 
of  Christian  experience  to  this  very  thing?  It 
should  be  remembered  that  guilt  is  not  merely 
memory.  A  man  remembers  his  sin,  but  his  sense 
of  guilt  has  gone  since  he  came  to  Christ.  As 
stated,  this  is  a  miracle  of  grace.  The  late  Dr. 
W.  N.  Clarke  defined  guilt  as,  **the  consciousness 
of  the  fact  that  you  are  the  man  who  did  the 
deed."  But  we  have  seen  that  memory  is  still 
active,  yet  the  sense  of  guilt  has  gone.  Guilt  is 
more  than  memory,  and  God  provided  for  its  re- 
moval with  sin  in  the  glorious  death  of  His  Son. 
A  mystery  to  be  sure,  but  the  truth  of  which  is 
demonstrated  in  human  experience,  blessed  be 
His  name. 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST  83 
Objection  3 

''It  Is  Immoral'' 

Another  objection  of  Modernism  to  our  Lord's 
atoning  sacrifice  is,  that  ''It  is  immoral.''  Jesus 
suffered  in  man's  place  and  they  call  this  "im- 
moral." Jesus  suffered  that  man  might  not  suf- 
fer and  they  call  this  "immoral."  This  is  a 
claim  that  one  person  cannot  morally  suffer  for 
another.  If  man  by  suffering  can  prevent  others 
from  suffering,  should  not  this  be  viewed  as  the 
most  exalted  moral  service?  We  so  view  it  when 
our  loved  sons  go  forth  to  battle.  But  if  this  is 
immorality,  then  the  noblest  men  and  w^omen  who 
ever  lived  are  the  most  immoral.  The  husband 
is  immoral  when  he  suffers  over  the  frailties  of 
his  wife,  and  thus  shields  her  from  the  condem- 
nation of  society;  and  the  wife  is  immoral  when 
she  similarly  protects  her  wayward  husband.  The 
mother  is  immoral  when  she  suffers  in  order  that 
her  child  may  not  suffer.  The  patriot  is  immoral 
when  he  dies  for  his  country.  If  the  Atonement 
is  immoral,  then  we  can  say  that  sympathy  is  im- 
moral. Men  often  sympathize  for  those  who  de- 
serve no  sympathy,  as  they  often  suffer  for  those 
who  are  undeserving.  And  are  we  to  call  all  this 
immoral?  If  the  element  of  vicarious  and  substi- 
tionary  suffering  were  taken  out  of  the  world, 
liberty  would  die,  man  would  be  changed  into  a 
beast,  and  love  would  perish.  Furthermore,  "it 
is  the  teaching  of  Christ's  redeeming  death  that 


84     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

has  produced  in  history,  during  the  last  nineteen 
hundred  years,  the  highest  type  of  morality.  If 
the  result  of  the  teaching  of  the  Atonement  is 
the  highest  morality,  how  can  the  doctrine  he 
immoral?" 


Objection  4 

** Legal  Gospel'' 

There  is  still  another  objection  of  Modernism 
to  the  fact  of  the  Atonement,  and  which  must  not 
be  overlooked.  They  say  that  this  is  **a  legal 
gospel."  Well,  thank  God  it  is,  but  it  is  more. 
Let  us  get  at  the  facts  and  not  spend  time  quar- 
reling over  words.  We  are  living  in  a  moral 
universe,  a  universe  of  law,  and  every  inch  of 
space  is  crammed  full  of  law.  Man  was  made 
under  a  moral  government;  and  he  has  always 
lived,  and  always  will  live  under  that  govern- 
ment ;  and  he  must  either  be  a  loyal  subject  or  a 
moral  rebel  against  God;  though  men  may  not 
always  see  this.  Jesus  Christ  while  in  the  flesh 
lived  under,  and  obeyed  perfectly  this  govern- 
ment of  God.  The  only  class  who  object  to  law, 
to  government,  human  and  divine,  are  anarch- 
ists. But  why  should  men  object  to  the  legal 
aspect  of  our  Lord's  death,  when  it  is  known  that 
He  was  here  among  men,  in  a  moral  universe,  as 
the  Representative  of  both  God  and  man,  in  an 
official  capacity,  in  an  attitude  of  Infinite  love, 
to  do  a  judicial  and  redeeming  work?    Moreover, 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    85 

is  it  fair  to  assume  that  our  Lord  could  not  do 
this  work  in  any  other  than  a  harsh,  mechanical, 
arbitrary  way?  The  service  of  His  loving  heart 
could  never  be  mechanical.  It  should  not  be  for- 
gotten that  God's  law  reveals  His  wisdom,  jus- 
tice, and  His  love.  Jesus  Christ  came  to  lift  from 
men  the  penalty  of  the  broken  law,  which  penalty 
is  death,  and  the  New  Theology  calls  that  sacri- 
ficial service,  in  a  sort  of  slurring  or  disparaging 
manner,  **a  legal  gospel.''  If  a  human  being,  in 
harmony  with  law,  could  give  his  life  to  redeem 
another  life  from  death,  would  we  look  upon  his 
heroism  as  a  merely  legal  act,  or  would  we  not 
rather  view  it  as  a  service  of  self-sacrificing  love  f 
Let  them  call  it  legal  if  they  will,  for  so  it  was, 
yet  the  death  of  Christ  was  an  act  of  incom- 
parable love,  in  its  revelation  of  grace  for  sinful 
men,  and  as  a  display  of  the  justice,  holiness,  and 
wisdom  of  God. 

Jesus  Christ  did  a  work  for  man  by  His  death 
that  man  could  not  do  for  himself.  In  it  we  see 
the  strong  stooping  to  succor  the  weak,  the  help- 
less,, the  undone.  It  is  the  Infinite  passion  in  the 
heart  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the  Cross  that  fires  the 
souls  of  men  into  a  flame  of  love  and  devotion 
to  Him.  Men  forget  the  legal  and  see  in  this 
eternal  heart-throb  Him  whom  they  would  lov- 
ingly worship  and  adore,  and  seeing  this  they 
sing:  **He  died  for  me.  He  died  for  me."  And 
because  He  died  we  shall  not  die,  but  live  and 


86     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

serve  and  love  and  reign  with  Him.     Legality? 
Yes ;  but  O  what  love !  what  love ! 

Love  Displayed  by  Atonement 

The  objections  of  Modernism  to  the  **  atoning 
sacrifice^'  of  Christ  have  been  removed,  and  in 
so  doing  we  have  not  minimized  but  rather 
exalted  the  love  of  God.  Divine  love  is  never 
slighted  nor  insulted  when  we  tell  the  truth.  What 
has  been  made  clear  is  that  the  surface  and  super- 
ficial view  of  our  Lord's  death  is  inadequate,  un- 
scriptural,  hence  untrue.  To  hold  to  this  theory, 
**The  Moral  Influence  Theory, '^  as  Professor 
Franklin  Johnson  truly  says,  **  would  be  to  shrivel 
the  ocean  to  the  dimensions  of  a  pond  and  bid  the 
admiral  sail  his  navies  on  it,  or  to  blot  out  all 
the  worlds  save  those  of  the  solar  system  and 
bid  the  astronomer  enlarge  his  science.''  And 
Dr.  Johnson  further  states,  **An  Atonement  of 
Infinite  cost,  flowing  from  Infinite  love,  procuring 
deliverance  from  Infinite  loss,  melts  the  coldest 
heart  and  inflames  the  warmest;"  and  he  adds: 
**The  Moral  Influence  Theory"  *^ makes  the  death 
of  Christ  spectacular,  a  feeble  effort  to  display 
the  love  of  God  rather  than  an  offering  to  God 
necessary  for  the  salvation  of  men.  It  struggles 
in  vain  to  find  a  worthy  reason  for  the  awful  sac- 
rifice. Hence  this  theory  may  be  charged  with 
essential  immorality.  In  any  case,  the  death  of 
Christ  if  interpreted  in  this  manner  will  not 
prove  to  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. ' '    , 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    87 

When  the  Cross  is  seen  as  God  has  so  plainly 
set  it  forth  in  His  word,  the  mind  is  gripped,  the 
conscience  is  aroused,  the  will  is  subdued,  sin  is 
hated  and  forsaken,  and  the  life  is  won  to  com- 
plete obedience.  The  soul  finds  rest.  Here,  in 
the  perfect  work  of  Christ,  we  have  a  real,  vital, 
conquering,  transforming  power.  And  the  the- 
ology which  rejects  this  mighty  work  of  God  for 
man  is  the  most  colossal  delusion  of  time.  As 
John  Wesley  in  his  day  truly  said  of  it:  **It  is 
the  spawn  of  hell.'' 

Results  of  Apostasy 

And  now,  under  the  influence  of  such  preach- 
ing, do  we  wonder  that  many  of  our  churches 
have  deteriorated  into  helpless  ethical  clubs,  re- 
sorting to  every  conceivable  trick  and  device  to 
interest  the  people?  Do  we  wonder  that  this  sort 
of  teaching  has  driven  many  of  the  pulpits  out 
of  the  soul-winning  business;  that  it  has  created 
a  dislike  for  evangelists,  and  Evangelical  Truth; 
that  it  has  brought  upon  us  such  a  state  of  con- 
fusion, division  and  strife,  the  unity  and  har- 
mony of  the  Body  of  Christ  are  seriously  threat- 
ened everywhere?  Instead  of  bringing  the 
churches  together  in  a  more  real  and  vital  fellow- 
ship, the  New  Theology  is  destroying  the  spirit- 
ual unity  the  churches  formerly  enjoyed.  Unity, 
harmony  and  progress  are  only  possible  on  the 
basis  of  our  Lord's  redeeming  death.  If  the  New 
Theology   advocates   will   not   join   hands   with 


88     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Christ's  followers  around  the  Cross,  then  we 
must  say  to  them  with  great  sorrow  in  our 
hearts,  we  cannot  hold  fellowship  with  that 
which  is  anti- Christ,  and  their  antagonism  to 
Christ  and  to  His  Gospel  may  force  into  a  new 
re-alignment  the  true-followers  of  Christ.  The 
hour  with  its  perils  calls  for  a  real  Christian 
fellowship. 

We  know  that  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  witnesses 
only  with  the  blood.  When  we  honor  the  Cross 
God  will  save  to  the  uttermost.  It  is  when  we 
can  truly  say,  **Who  loved  me,  and  gave  himself 
for  me''  (Gal.  2:20)  that  the  shout  of  halleluiah 
is  in  the  soul.  It  is  a  foretaste  of  glory  to  be 
able  to  testify,  *  *  He  died  for  me. ' '  Ah,  my  friend, 
do  we  not  see  it  now  morely  clearly  than  ever 
before?  Come  and  say  it  now  in  your  heart, 
**He  died  for  me."  **Who  loved  me,  and  gave 
Himself  for  me."  Come  and  praise  Him!  The 
glory  of  His  eternal  love  must  break  over  our 
vision  if  we  would  view  His  lovely  Cross.  If 
the  death  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  not  what 
the  Bible  reveals  it  to  be,  surely  then  it  was  an 
unspeakable  blunder,  an  unpardonable  cruelty. 

We  have  seen  the  apostasy  of  the  Prussian 
Modernism,  that  it  breaks  down  and  parts  com- 
pany with  Jesus  at  His  Cross,  that  it  is  an  effort 
of  Satan,  through  those  whom  He  has  deceived, 
to  strike  a  death-blow  at  the  very  heart  of  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    89 

Cause  of  Deception 

We  are  now  ready  to  raise  a  practical  question. 
How  have  these  friends  been  deceived  and  led 
astray!  Many  of  those  who  reject  the  *' atoning 
sacrifice'^  are  thoughtful,  scholarly,  and  some  ap- 
pear to  be  reverent  men.  How  can  we  explain 
their  departure  from  the  Gospel?  Why  do  they 
hold  views  so  radically  different  from  those  held 
by  the  greatest  minds  in  the  Churches  in  all  ages  I 
The  answer  is  at  hand. 

The  New  Theology  advocates  are,  as  a  class, 
evolutionists,  and  some  are  Unitarians,  though 
they  may  be  members  of  Orthodox  Churches, 
Modernism,  as  has  been  shown  previously,  is 
built  on  speculative  philosophy,  rationalism  as 
opposed  to  Revelation  and  faith,  on  evolution  as 
an  explanation  of  how  man  got  here,  and  on  a 
false  view  of  the  universe,  and  of  the  moral 
nature  of  God  and  man.  Also  the  radical  or  de- 
structive criticism  of  the  Bible  has  made  its  con- 
tribution though,  as  stated  heretofore,  there  is  a 
sensible  and  helpful  higher  criticism  of  the  Bible. 

It  was  seen  that  the  philosophy  of  evolution 
denies  the  Fall  of  man  as  recorded  in  the  book 
of  Genesis,  and  that  Haeckel,  the  German  evolu- 
tionist, says:  **With  a  single  stroke  Darwin  has 
annihilated  the  dogma  of  Creation.**  And  they 
termed  Darwin's  Origin  of  Species  as  ^* Anti- 
Genesis.''  Genesis  says  that  Adam  fell,  and  by 
his  sin  brought  upon  himself  and  his  posterity 
an  estrangement  from  God  and  the  penalty  of 


90     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

death.  Evolutionists  deny  this  and  say  there  was 
no  Fall.  Professor  Shailer  Mathews,  of  the 
Divinity  School  of  Chicago  University,  who  is  an 
evolutionist,  and  a  radical  New  Theology  advo- 
cate, said  in  his  class-room  in  the  presence  of 
the  writer,  **The  Fall  of  man  was  the  passing 
of  the  non-moral  man  to  the  moral  man,'^  that  is, 
it  was  the  passing  of  the  animal  man  to  the  man 
of  moral  sense  or  conscience.  In  other  words,  it 
was  not  a  fall  but  an  upward  bound  in  the  evolu- 
tion of  man,  thus  denying  the  record  as  given  in 
the  book  of  Genesis.  It  follows,  therefore,  as 
plainly  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens,  that  if  Genesis 
is  incorrect,  if  man's  death  and  alienation  from 
the  Father  did  not  come  as  a  result  of  sin,  then 
there  is  no  ground  nor  occasion  for  the  redeem- 
ing death  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  New  Theology 
evolutionists  are  consistent  in  denying  the  Atone- 
ment, that  is,  if  they  can  prove  that  evolution 
is  an  established  fact,  and  that  the  Fall  as  stated 
in  Genesis  is  not  to  be  accepted  as  historical. 
But  it  has  been  proven  that  evolution  is  still 
within  the  realm  of  presumption,  in  fact  that  it 
is  false. 

It  is  not  our  purpose,  however,  to  argue  here 
that  Darwin's  evolution  is  false,  that  it  is  not  a 
true  explanation  of  how  man  got  here,  for  this 
has  been  done  by  able  scientists.  Evolution  to 
this  hour  is  an  unproved  hypothesis.  And  we  can 
well  afford  to  boldly  affirm  this  and  challenge  the 
evolutionists  to  p^^ov^  the  contrary,  though  in  so 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    91 

doing  we  may  be  called  *  ^unscientific, '  *  ** behind 
the  times/'  and  *^ ignorant''  by  the  dogmatic  evo- 
lutionist. As  Philip  Mauro,  that  astute  thinker, 
has  well  said:  *' There  has  never  been  produced 
a  single  instance  of  reproduction  of  one  living 
thing  of  offspring  of  a  ditferent  species.  There 
has  never  been  produced  a  single  fact  tending  in 
the  slightest  degree  to  prove  that  such  a  thing 
ever  happened  in  this  universe."  But  why  has 
evolution  been  accepted  as  true  by  some  scholars  ? 
Let  Mr.  Mauro  reply:  *^One  reason  for  the  rapid 
spread  of  this  philosophy  is,  that  it  affords  a  plat- 
form from  which  skeptical  and  unbelieving  minds 
could,  in  the  name  of  science,  contradict  the  Bible 
account  of  Creation,"  and  we  might  add,  thus 
discredit  the  Atonement  made  by  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

Evolution  is  Satan's  masterstroke,  his  weapon 
in  the  hands  of  the  new  theologians  by  which  they 
are  trying  to  break  down  the  Cross  of  Christ. 
The  conflict  is  raging  around  Genesis,  Calvary, 
the  Resurrection,  and  the  Personal  Coming  of 
Christ.  But  here  at  the  Cross  the  battle  is  hot- 
test, and  where  Modernism  is  laboring  to  under- 
mine and  destroy  the  Christian  Faith.  But  Mod- 
ernism is  meeting  defeat.  Evolution  has  been 
proven  to  be  false,  though  some  still  cling  to  it 
as  their  only  possible  working  hypothesis.  Error 
dies  hard.  The  light  of  recent  science,  however, 
is  beginning  to  shine  upon  the  evolutionist,  and 
he  is  becoming  less  dogmatic,  more  modest  and 


92     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

sane,  and  soon  he  must  go  into  obscurity,  or 
acknowledge  the  Bible  to  be  our  only  authority 
as  to  Creation  and  Redemption.  Within  a  few 
decades  evolution  will  probably  be  unheard  of  in 
American  education. 

Back  at  the  Cross 

But  let  us  come  back  to  Calvary,  for  it  is  holy 
delight  to  keep  close  to  the  Cross.  Who  would 
not  love  to  die  preaching  or  meditating  on  His 
death,  there  is  such  a  universe  of  wisdom,  mercy 
and  grace  seen  here? 

The  profound  significance  of  that  death,  only 
our  Lord  Himself  knew.  He  foresaw  what  its 
effect  would  be  on  the  lives  of  unborn  millions 
in  earth  and  Heaven,  and  His  heart  was  filled 
with  joy.  Jesus  was  never  more  cheerful  than 
when  He  went  to  die.  He  must  sing  a  song  now 
with  His  disciples,  though  He  knew  the  burden 
of  sorrow  He  was  to  bear  for  men  would  crush 
His  heart.  Populating  earth  and  heaven  with 
new  born  sons  and  daughters  of  God  was  to  Him 
His  greatest  work,  hence  He  was  glad,  joyful, 
songful.  As  the  great  Spurgeon  said:  **We  get 
our  children  by  living.  Jesus  got  his  by  dying," 
or  as  Isaiah  foretold,  '  *  He  shall  see  of  the  travail 
of  His  soul  and  shall  be  satisfied."  (Isa.  53:11.) 
**When  a  man  dies,  he  dies  for  himself,  when 
Jesus  died  He  died  for  mankind," 

A  glimpse  should  be  here  taken  at  the  univer- 
sality of  our  Lord's  death,  touching  only  in  mer- 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    93 

est  outline  the  mountain  peaks.  There  is  the 
Backward  Vieiv,  the  Present  Blessiyig  and  the 
Future  Glory, 

The  Backwakd  View 

The  Backward  View,  Redemption  is  an  eternal 
fact.  Planned  before  worlds  were  made  or  sys- 
tems framed  it  is  related  to  our  race  from  its 
inception.  We  cannot  fully  comprehend  the 
meaning  of  the  Lord's  death,  related  as  it  is  to 
all  the  moral  universe  of  God.  **This  ocean  of 
love  is  too  wide  for  men  to  navigate,  the  universe 
of  grace  it  opens  up  is  too  vast  for  man  with  his 
tiny  telescope  to  scan."  As  we  get  a  glimpse  of 
its  sweep  in  the  eternity  of  the  past,  present  and 
future,  words  fall  down  as  impotent  things, 
*Hheir  backs  are  broken,  they  cannot  tell  the 
story,"  and  tears  of  grateful  love  are  more  be- 
coming. 

The  death  of  Christ  makes  clear  that  God  has 
but  one  plan,  one  way  of  saving  men,  and  that 
is  the  way  of  grace. 

Man,  as  already  stated,  was  made  under  law, 
that  is,  under  God's  moral  government,  and  his 
fellowship  and  happiness  were  made  conditional 
upon  his  obedience.  But  in  the  testing  man  fell, 
he  disobeyed,  he  sinned,  he  literally  rebelled 
against  the  perfect  Will  or  Government  of  God. 
This  suggests  the  fact  that  man  was  made  free, 
that  is,  he  was  made  a  moral  being  in  the  image 
of  God,  with  all  the  powers  of  a  free  being — 


94     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

powers  to  think,  to  feel,  to  act.  In  the  proper 
exercise  of  these  great  powers  and  responsibili- 
ties consisted  his  prosperity  and  happiness  as 
man. 

God  could  not  create  any  other  kind  or  moral 
or  spiritual  being  and  make  him  free.  Man, 
therefore,  must  have  within  him  the  possibility  of 
disobeying  God.  Shall  it  then  be  stated  that 
**God  took  a  chance  in  creating  manT'  Yes,  if 
we  wish  to  put  it  that  way.  But  it  was  an  act 
of  Infinite  wisdom  and  love  on  God's  part  to  thus 
create  man. 

God  is  a  working,  a  creative  God.  God  could 
not  create  a  God,  but  He  could  create  a  perfect 
sinless  man,  a  being  with  many  limitations,  and 
in  whom  His  Fatherly  heart  could  take  delight. 
Thus  creating  man  in  a  limited  way,  and  making 
him  subject  to  moral  law,  giving  him  spiritual 
and  mental  powers,  the  powers  of  a  free  spirit, 
did  not  God  strikingly  reveal  His  wisdom  and 
His  love?  For  thus  limited  man  can  grow,  make 
progress,  aspire,  study,  learn,  invent,  discover, 
obey,  wonder,  worship,  and  adore,  all  of  which 
are  necessary  to  the  happiness  of  man. 

But  we  have  said  that  man  in  his  testing  re- 
belled against  the  Divine  goodness,  he  fell  into 
sin,  and  brought  upon  himself  and  his  posterity 
the  penalty  of  sin  which  is  death,  or  eternal  sepa- 
ration from  God.  In  this  state  of  separation 
from  the  good  God  consists  the  fact  and  reality 
of  Hell.    But  what  is  God  to  do?    God  fore-knew 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    95 

that  man  would  die,  though  He  made  man  not  to 
die  but  to  live.  Is  it  not  the  highest  reason  to 
conclude  that  God,  the  perfectly  good  God,  would 
make  provision  for  man's  recovery  from  the 
curse  of  sin  and  death,  and  from  the  Hell  of  an 
eternal  separation  from  His  holy  fellowship  and 
love?  How  could  the  good  God  do  otherwise? 
God  must  be  true  to  Himself,  to  His  oa^ti  charac- 
ter, to  His  eternal  love,  and  God  the  Father  must 
move  toward  man  to  redeem,  to  save  him,  hence 
the  Substitutionary  Atonement  becomes  a  moral 
necessity,  that  is,  if  God  be  true  to  His  own  char- 
acter. And  this  is  exactly  what  the  '^atoning 
sacrifice'^  for  man  means y  that  God  is  a  loving , 
a  reconciling,  a  saving  God,  true  to  His  own 
character.  His  plan  in  providing  for  man's  re- 
demption through  His  own  Son,  by  One  who  could 
and  would  perfectly  obey  His  Government,  His 
Will,  and  give  Himself  in  death  for  men,  has 
shown  God's  love  in  a  marvelous  way,  a  way  so 
sublime,  that  aside  from  the  Cross  God  could  not 
so  disclose  the  goodness,  tenderness  and  passion 
of  His  Infinite  Heart. 

God's  Love  Compelled  Atoxemext 

We  see  then  that  love  compelled  atonement, 
and  that  to  argue  against  the  atonement  is  to 
argue  against  the  love  of  God.  God  must  be  true 
to  His  OA\Ti  justice  and  love,  to  that  which  is  in 
His  nature  inherently  and  eternally  right,  and  in 
order  to  do  this  He  must  punish  sin  and  destroy 


96     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

its  power  in  men,  He  must  reveal  justice,  He 
must  be  true  to  Himself,  to  His  own  eternal  love. 
This  is  why  He  must  move  toward  man  to  save 
him.  The  heart  of  the  Gospel  is  found  in  the 
words :  *  *  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His 
only  begotten  Son"  (John  3:16),  which  in  an 
abbreviated  form  reads:  Jesus  died  in  man's 
place.  The  Cross,  therefore,  has  become  the 
focusing  or  converging  place  and  fact  in  history 
where  the  love,  justice,  and  wisdom  of  God  are 
revealed  in  all  their  glory,  grace  and  power,  and 
in  the  light  of  which  we  have  the  true  significance 
of  the  Divine  Fatherhood. 

God's  purpose  is  that  in  His  universe  there 
shall  be  no  opposition  to  His  holy  love,  that  there 
shall  be  no  discord  but  perfect  harmony,  that  all 
moral  rebellion  and  folly  must  be  put  away,  that 
all  enemies  must  be  destroyed,  including  death, 
**That  at  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in 
earth,  and  things  under  the  earth ;  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to 
the  glory  of  God  the  Father.''  (PhiL  2:10-11.) 
Jesus  Christ  came  to  restore  perfect  harmony  in 
the  universe  of  God,  and  to  this  end  man  must 
be  reconciled  and  given  a  new  spirit,  and  Satan, 
sin  and  death  defeated  and  destroyed.  Any- 
thing short  of  this  could  not  be  a  complete  pro- 
gramme, and  present  a  perfect  Gospel  of  redemp- 
tion and  reconciliation  for  man. 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    97 

SiNNEBS  EVEE  SaVED  THROUGH  ChRIST 

From  what  has  been  seen  the  conclusion  is 
obvious:  that  men  in  every  age  were  saved 
through  the  Cross  of  Christ,  that  Christ  alone,  as 
He  said,  is  **the  Way,  the  Truth  and  the  Life; 
no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by  me.*' 
(John  14:8.)  The  Apostle  Peter  testified  to  it 
in  these  words:  ** Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any 
other;  for  there  is  none  other  name  under 
heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be 
saved.  *'  (Acts  4:12.)  This  is  true  of  those  who 
preceded  Christ  on  the  earth,  for  God  has  only 
one  Saviour  for  men.  Man  has  ever  been  saved  by 
grace  through  faith,  as  the  Apostle  Paul  clearly 
shows  in  his  letters  to  the  Romans  and  Gala- 
tians.  Only  through  the  sacrifice  of  God's  Son 
could  man  ever  approach  the  throne  of  Grace. 
This  holy  Sacrifice  reveals  that  man  was  justified 
by  faith  through  the  goodness,  the  unmerited 
favor  of  God.  Through  this  holy  Sacrifice  sin 
has  ever  been  forgiven.  The  ancient  atonements 
which  in  themselves  alone  were  coarse  and  crude 
and  could  not  please  God,  nevertheless  were  all 
educative,  typical  of  the  one  great  Sacrifice  for 
sin.  (Hebrews.)  The  Jewish  atonements  all 
cried  in  a  typical  way:  ** Behold  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 
(John  1:29.) 

The  Present  Blessing 
Note  the  present  blessing  of  the  death  of  Jesus 


98     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Christ.  All  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  were  purchased  for  man  at  the  Cross,  by 
the  dying  love  of  Jesus  Christ.  Here  God  is 
pleased  to  give  us  full  forgiveness  through  His 
blood.  It  is  here  we  receive  the  endowments  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  here  where  we  get  the  wit- 
ness that  we  are  the  children  of  God,  and  where 
we  learn  to  say,  **Dear  Father,''  **Our  Father.'' 
It  is  here  where  we  get  the  consciousness  that  we 
are  saved. 

The  Spirit  witness  with  the  blood, 
And  tells  me  I  am  born   of  God. 

It  is  here  also  where  we  get  the  power  for  ser- 
vice, power  to  deny  self,  to  aspire  to  reach  in 
character  and  deeds  the  highest  ideals,  in  short 
where  we  are  ** filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God." 
(Eph.  3:19.) 

It  is  here  at  the  Cross  where  the  preacher  gets 
his  equipment  for  preaching  the  Gospel.  It  is 
here,  in  this  place  of  holy  fellowship,  of  inner 
shelter,  of  reinforcement  and  refreshing,  where 
his  face  begins  to  shine,  where  he  receives  the 
power  that  destroys  his  sin  and  moves  the  world. 
Would  we  know  the  secret  of  the  failure  of  much 
of  our  modern  preaching,  we  will  find  it  in  the 
fact  that  the  preachers  have  been  flirting  with 
Modernism,  they  have  not  been  living  close  to  the 
** Ancient  Sacrifice,"  consequently,  their  mes- 
sages are  not  baptized  with  the  power  and  pas- 
sion of  the  Cross,    It  is  here  at  the  Cross,  also, 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  DEATH  OF  CHRIST    99 

where  we  learn  the  social  selfishness  and  isola- 
tion, or  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin,  where  we 
learn  to  hate  sin,  where  we  get  God^s  estimate  of 
sin,  where  no  sin  appears  small,  and  where  God 
has  made  a  covenant  sealed  with  precious  blood 
that  He  would  put  away  man's  sin,  and  thus  make 
him  a  true  son  of  God  and  brother  of  men.  To 
Christianity,  therefore,  the  Cross  is  central,  fun- 
damental, and  indispensable.  It  is  not  simply  the 
one  sign,  but  it  is  in  itself  the  one  dynamic  and 
faith  by  which  man  must  ever  conquer. 

The  Future  Glory 

The  Cross  is  also  a  prophecy  of  that  which  is 
to  be.  '^He  that  spared  not  His  own  Son,  but 
delivered  Him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  He  not 
with  Him  also  freely  give  us  all  things?''  (Rom. 
8:32.)  Who  can  picture  the  ^^ all  things?"  The 
resurrection  to  glory,  a  permanent  place  in  the 
coming  Kingdom,  a  welcome  to  the  returning 
Conqueror  of  sin  and  death,  a  reunion  with 
** those  we  loved  and  lost  awhile,"  will  be  part  of 
the  **all  things."  The  triumph  will  be  down  here 
on  a  rejuvenated  earth.  *^In  that  great  day  this 
old  world,  so  long  robed  in  the  darkness  of  sel- 
fishness and  sin,  will  shine  in  splendor  like  a  new- 
born sun."  In  that  great  day  peace  and  right- 
eousness will  cover  the  earth,  for  brotherhood  will 
become  real,  and  swords  and  spears  and  bombs 
and  shells  will  be  as  dust  beneath  the  chariots  of 
the  redeemed.     In  that  great  and  glorious  day, 


100     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

when  the  Master  of  love,  the  Conqueror  of  sin  and 
death  shall  come  in  His  glory,  and  shall  have  de- 
livered up  the  Kingdom  to  the  Father,  that  *  *  God 
may  be  all  in  alP'  (I  Cor.  15:28),  then,  and  not 
till  then  shall  we  see  the  true  significance,  splen- 
dor and  glory  of  what  Kipling  called  the 
** Ancient  Sacrifice." 

0  glorious  Cross,  0  glorious  Crown, 
0  Resurrection  Day! 
Ye  angels  from  the  skies  come  down 
And  bear  my  soul  away. 

Which  shall  it  be,  Modernism,  New  Theology, 
or  His  lovely  Cross? 


CHAPTER  VI 

MODERNISM   AND    ESCHATOLOGY   OR   THINGS   TO 

COME 

It  is  mth  a  feeling  of  gladness  that  we  now 
take  up  the  question  of  Modernism  in  its  relation 
to  Things  To  Come,  and  show  the  danger  in 
adopting  a  false  hypothesis  in  the  interpretation 
of  the  Bible,  of  all  history,  and  all  life,  as  the 
Modernists  have  done. 

It  has  been  shown  from  the  beginning,  in  the 
development  of  this  message,  that  our  prr>blem 
is  to  expose  the  falsity,  and  completely  overthrow 
the  application  of  the  theory  of  evolution  to  the 
interpretation  of  the  Bible  and  Christianity,  as  a 
method  in  opposition  to  the  facts  of  the  Bible, 
and  to  any  true  scientific  method  of  interpreta- 
tion. For  we  have  seen  that,  invariably,  the  facts 
of  the  Bible  have  been  twisted  and  distorted  in 
order  to  make  them  fit  into  the  creed  of  the  Mod- 
ernist and  his  hypothesis  of  evolution.  We  have 
clearly  seen  that  in  this  effort  he  must  deny  every 
fundamental  Christian  revelation.  We  have  also 
seen  that  it  is  the  adoption  of  this  method  by 
the  university  that  has  Prussianized  our  modern 

101 


102     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

education,  and  created  our  modem  religious 
problem,  a  problem  that  constitutes  a  real  peril 
to  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  faith  in  the 
Deity  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  security  and  progress 
of  Christianity. 

It  hardly  need  to  be  said  that  this  whole  matter 
of  eschatology  can  only  be  presented  in  general 
outline,  as  it  would  require  many  volumes  to  dis- 
cuss it  in  all  matters  of  detail.  This  is  why,  as 
may  be  seen,  these  concluding  chapters  on  Things 
To  Come  must  necessarily  be  brief.  But  in  this 
practical,  comparative  statement  and  outline  the 
student  will  see  how  scientifically  true  is  our 
diagnosis  of  Modernism  and  its  peril  to  the 
Church  of  Christ. 

Sources  of  Information 

By  the  term  eschatology  is  meant  those  things 
that  have  to  do  with  the  future  life  of  men  both 
on  earth  and  in  Heaven.  But  before  discussing 
some  of  these  things  it  is  necessary  to  inquire, 
what  is  the  source  of  our  authority?  Without 
disregarding  the  value  of  Church  history, 
especially  the  development  of  doctrine  during 
the  first  four  centuries  a.d.,  it  must  be  affirmed 
that  there  is  after  all,  in  our  study  of  Things  To 
Come,  only  one  great  authority — the  Bible. 
There  is  nothing  that  can  take  its  place,  either 
ancient  or  modern.  Here  is  the  true  Guide  in  our 
approach  to  these  momentous  matters,  for  in  so 
far  as  we  have  means  of  knowing  it  is  in  this 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        103 

great  Book  that  we  find  the  only  authorities  on 
these  great  matters  which  relate  to  man's  future 
life.  No  philosophy  of  religion  nor  science  can 
give  material  assistance  here.  We  are  shut  in  to 
the  authority  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles,  to  the 
trustworthiness  of  the  things  they  taught  and 
wrote  on  the  question  of  man's  future  life;  and 
no  classroom  air  of  assumed  additional  knowl- 
edge can  successfully  contradict  this  fact.  Let 
it  be  stated,  therefore,  with  much  emphasis  that 
we  can  as  well  study  botany  by  eliminating  the 
sun  as  we  can  study  Things  To  Come  by 
eliminating  the  Bible.  In  fact  it  is  not  an  exag- 
geration to  say  that  where  the  Bible  is  silent  it 
is  never  safe  nor  wise  to  affirm,  for  beyond  its 
illumination  we  can  only  at  the  best  indulge  in 
unprofitable  speculation.  But  where  the  Scrip- 
tures speak  plainly  there  we  can  affirm  and  dog- 
matize, for  notwithstanding  all  the  destructive 
critics  of  the  school  of  Modernism  may  have 
said  against  the  naked  facts  of  Revelation  as  re- 
corded in  the  Bible,  this  Record  is  still  to  us 
authority,  the  very  Word  of  God,  His  glorious 
Truth  to  all  mankind. 

Man's  Knowledge  Limited 

There  are  many  things  pertaining  to  man's 
future  life  of  which  we  are  totally  ignorant,  and 
it  will  not  weaken  the  truth  to  make  this  fact 
plain.  No  Christian  should  hesitate  to  reply  in 
the  words,  I  do  not  know,  to  many  questions  that 


104     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

might  be  asked  regarding  eschatology,  for  God 
has  not  revealed  details,  only  outstanding  events, 
He  has  not  given  a  complete  map  of  the  future, 
only  a  partial  and  at  places  a  somewhat  dim  out- 
line. This  fact  should  be  emphasized,  that  God 
has  given  to  His  children  some  real  satisfying 
knowledge  of  the  great  beyond,  of  the  ultimate 
and  the  eternity  of  man,  but  let  it  be  remembered 
that  it  is  only  a  partial  outline  of  those  realities 
that  man  shall  fully  understand  in  the  life  be- 
yond. These  realities  should  constitute  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  message  of  the  Churches  in 
the  present  age.  Indeed,  there  can  be  no  com- 
plete Gospel  taught  where  Things  to  Come  are 
slighted,  belittled,  or  ignored. 

A  Wise  PKECAUTioisr 

Related  to  these  outlines  there  are  innumerable 
details,  which  in  themselves  will  be  events  of 
glorious  revelation.  But  for  all  practical  and 
necessary  purposes  here,  for  the  development  of 
character,  of  faith  and  hope  and  love,  for  inspi- 
ration to  service  as  we  travel  on  toward  Home, 
God  has  given  sufficient  Revelation  in  His  Word. 
As  to  the  future,  care  should  be  taken  not  to  pre- 
sume, guess,  or  speculate.  The  New  Theology 
claims  that  we  have  a  right  to  speculate  regard- 
ing man's  future  life,  to  assume  on  what  we  know 
of  the  character  of  God.  But  what  do  we  know 
about  the  character  of  God  aside  from  that  which 
the  Scriptures  reveal?    The  Bible  assures  us  that 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        105 

the  Revelation  has  been  closed,  and  that  it  is  un- 
wise to  speculate  beyond  that  which  has  been 
written.  (I  Cor.  4:6.)  Guessing,  presuming, 
conjecturing,  philosophizing,  speculating  here  in 
a  way  that  would  add  to  or  contradict  the  Bible 
is  a  wild-goose  chase;  and  it  is  more,  it  is  a  sin. 
(Rev.  22:18-19.)  If  the  contention  of  Modernism 
be  admitted,  there  is  danger  of  turning  from  our 
holy  study  in  disgust,  of  shutting  out  from  our 
vision,  as  the  New  Theology  has  done,  the  re- 
vealed realities  of  the  future  life,  as  they  are  dis- 
closed to  us  in  the  Bible,  and  giving  our  attention 
to  speculative  hypotheses,  theosophy,  philosophy, 
spiritism,  new  thought  fads,  a  kind  of  milk  and 
water  social  salvation,  and  all  kinds  of  vagaries, 
if  we  do  not  finally  end  in  hopeless  infidelity. 

Should  Study  Sckiptukes 

And  there  is  another  important  fact  to  notice. 
Since  we  are  shut  in  to  the  Scriptures,  it  follows 
that  we  should  be  earnest  students  of  that  which 
the  Bible  reveals  concerning  man's  future  life. 
Thoughtless  and  irreverent  persons  should  not 
touch  this  holy  theme.  In  making  our  exegesis 
we  should  follow  the  apostolic  direction — *^  Which 
things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the  words  which 
man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  teacheth;  comparing  spiritual  things  with 
spiritual''  (I  Cor.  2:13),  that  is,  using  the  Scrip- 
tures only,  otherwise  we  shall  be  bewildered  in 
the  confusioii  of  our  ignorance.    We  desire,  there- 


106     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

fore,  to  emphasize  the  importance,  in  our  reli- 
gious thinking  and  teaching,  of  keeping  in  closest 
company  with  the  Bible.  Here  we  have  the  essen- 
tial difference  in  method  between  the  New  and 
the  Old  Theology.  The  Old  exalts  what  God  has 
said  in  the  Scriptures;  the  New  exalts  what  man 
has  said  outside  the  Scriptures.  The  Old  makes 
no  apology  for  the  inspired  Book,  but  accepts  it 
as  it  is,  the  Word  of  God;  the  New  exalts  scholar- 
ship (and  which  the  Old  does  by  no  means  de- 
spise), man's  wisdom  above  Revelation,  hence 
they  choose  certain  parts  of  Scripture  that  are 
to  their  liking,  and  other  parts  they  brush  over 
as  untrustworthy.  If  certain  passages  are  found 
to  be  opposed  to  Modernism  they  say,  *'That  is 
Pauline,''  or  ^*That  is  Petrine,"  or  **That  is 
Apocalyptic,"  or  ^*That  is  Johannine,"  or  **That 
is  traditional,"  or  **That  is  supposed  by  the  lat- 
est scholarship  to  be  legendary,"  or  ** There  is  a 
question  as  to  the  authenticity  of  that  passage," 
etc.  It  is  a  very  simple  method  if  one  wants  to 
reject  a  difficult  passage  that  is  opposed  to  a  pre- 
conceived theory,  or  to  speculative  theology. 

The  Futuee  Revelation 

In  discussing  Modernism  And  Eschatology  we 
should  not  overlook  the  large  place  God  has 
given  in  His  word  to  the  revelation  of  things  to 
come.  In  the  very  nature  of  the  case  the  claims 
of  the  future  must  have  a  large  place.  In  the  last 
book  in  the  Bible  about  nineteen  chapters  out  of 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        107 

twenty-two  are  largely  devoted  to  the  realities  of 
the  future  life.  Nearly  every  book  in  the  New 
Testament  contains  references  to  future  events. 
To  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ  alone  we  have 
about  three  hundred  references,  one  out  of  about 
every  twenty-five  verses  in  the  New  Testament, 
while  in  the  Old  Testament  it  is  referred  to  more 
often  than  His  first  Advent.  It  is  exceedingly 
interesting  to  know  that  one-half  of  the  Bible  is 
prophecy,  much  of  which  has  to  do  with  man's 
future  life.  And  we  are  exhorted  to  study 
prophecy  more  than  any  other  subject.  The  Book 
of  Revelation,  which  the  New  Theology  belittles 
by  calling  it  '* apocalyptic,"  contains  more  Old 
Testament  quotations  than  the  gospels  and  epis- 
tles combined,  or  in  all  about  two  hundred  and 
forty-five  references.  The  last  invitation  to  the 
sinning  and  lost,  the  last  prayer,  and  the  last 
recorded  words  of  Jesus  are  found  in  this  book. 
Moreover,  our  Lord  devoted  much  of  His  min- 
istry in  teaching  of  Things  To  Come — the  fact 
of  man's  part  in  the  final  triumph  of  the  King- 
dom of  God.  He  made  numerous  references  to 
the  state  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  in  the 
world  beyond,  in  order  to  incite  to  repentance 
and  holiness  of  life  here.  And  from  this  we  are 
fully  justified  in  concluding  that  the  fact  of  man's 
future  life  should  have  a  large  place  in  the 
preaching  and  teaching  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ. 
But  as  we  look  about  us  what  do  we  find  ?    Read 


108     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

the  New  York  newspapers  on  Saturday  and  see 
the  subjects  that  some  of  the  preachers  announce 
for  the  Sunday  sermons:  *'A  Snowball  Service," 
**An  Orange  Service/'  *^Our  Need  of  More  Bath- 
tubs/' **The  Coming  Election,"  *'The  Books  in 
The  Bible  I  Believe  to  Be  Inspired/'  **A  Lec- 
ture on  Spiritism  by  New  York's  Greatest  Bible 
Lecturer,"  **Can  the  Modern  Man  Accept  the 
Pauline  Doctrines?"  '*Can  We  Dogmatize  about 
the  Future!"  *^The  Modern  Point  of  View  of 
Religion,"  ^*The  Results  of  the  Recent  Election," 
etc.,  etc.  If  Modernism  would  be  seen  in  its  true 
garb,  go  and  hear  a  lecture  from  one  of  their 
chief  lights  on  eschatology.  It  would  not  be 
thought  unkind  in  saying  that  the  Apostle  Paul 
described  this  class  of  teachers  and  preachers 
when  he  said:  ** Professing  themselves  to  be  wise, 
they  become  fools."  (Rom.  1 :22.)  Think  of  sub- 
stituting for  the  eternal  verities  a  lecture  on 
**  bath-tubs,  as  if  the  tub,  and  not  the  blood-red 
Cross,  and  the  Empty  Grave,  is  the  way  into  the 
Kingdom  of  God." 

TuENED  Church  Into  a  Club 

The  New  Theology  in  its  effort  to  humanize, 
rationalize,  and  circumscribe  within  earthly  limits 
the  ** Eternal  Gospel"  has  by  so  doing  aposta- 
tized the  Church  of  God.  They  have  turned  the 
Church  into  an  ethieal  and  social  club.  A  club 
may  be  a  good  thing  but  not  when  made  a  sub- 
stitute for  a  Church.    They  would  shut  out  fram 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        109 

the  thought  and  vision  of  men  the  great  Home- 
land, and  the  coming  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 
The  Apostle  Paul  in  speaking  of  those,  **  whose 
minds  are  given  up  to  earthly  things,'^  further 
described  the  new  theologians  and  their  deluded 
disciples ;  and  he  adds :  **For  many  walk,  of  whom 
I  have  told  you  often,  and  now  tell  you  even  weep- 
ing, that  they  are  the  enemies  of  the  Cross  of 
Christ;  whose  end  is  destruction,  whose  god  is 
their  belly,  and  whose  glory  is  in  their  shame, 
who  mind  earthly  things''  (or  whose  mind  is 
fastened  on  earthly  things.)  **For  our  conver- 
sation is  in  heaven,  from  whence  also  we  look  for 
the  Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  (Phil. 
3:18-20.)  The  true  Christian  has  his  heart  in 
Heaven  while  he  plods  earth's  dusty  highways; 
and  as  he  seeks  to  do  good  in  the  performance  of 
his  labors,  he  sings  with  joy  the  children's  hynm: 

I^m  a  pilgrim,  I'm  a  stranger, 

I  can  tarry,  I  can  tarry  but  a  night. 

Saving  Society 

But  Modernism  would  turn  men's  thoughts 
only  to  the  passing,  the  transient  things,  having 
its  face  in  the  dust,  and  its  back  toward  man's 
Eternal  Home.  Rejecting  the  Bible  Revelation 
as  to  the  future,  it  turns  its  attention  to  society, 
and  talks  much  of  ^* saving  society,"  not  of  saving 
individuals,  for  that  they  cannot  do.  **The  social 
uplift,'*    **the    social    conscience,"    *Hhe    social 


no     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

spirit/'  ** social  repentance,"  ** civic  righteous- 
ness/' ^*our  need  of  a  reconstructed  religion'' — 
mark  you,  not  a  reconstructed  man — these  are 
their  lofty  themes.  But  when  the  New  Theology 
can  win  individuals  to  Christ,  then  we  shall  listen 
to  them  when  they  talk  about  saving  society  for 
Christ,  for  society  can  only  be  saved  as  individ- 
uals are  made  Christians.  Dean  Hodges  has 
truthfully  said : 

Wlien  we  are  busiest  with  our  problems  of  ethics,  and  our 
problems  in  philanthropy,  the  Christian  minister  stands  up 
and  says  that  we  have  not  got  sight  of  the  real  thing.  We 
have  not  touched  the  man.  The  body  is  not  the  man.  Who- 
ever would  find  him,  must  address  the  heart.  He  must  be 
born  again  to  enter  the  new  life.  Carpets  and  curtains  make 
some  difference;  the  Ten  Commandments  make  more;  but 
that  which  is  essential  is  the  spiritual  impulse  of  religion. 
The  supreme  thing  in  solving  the  Social  Question  is  not  a 
new  coat  or  even  a  new  thought,  but  a  new  heart;  and  God 
alone  can  give  that  through  Jesus  Christ. 

Here  then  is  the  supreme  test  of  any  Christian 
teaching.  Can  it  ivin  individuals  to  Christ  in  the 
local  church  congregation^  To  dilate  on  social 
improvement  is  good  so  far  as  it  goes,  and  it 
is  far  from  our  purpose  to  undervalue  it,  yet  it 
is  only  one  of  the  results  of  a  great  cause,  one 
of  the  flowers  on  the  tree  of  Christianity.  What 
would  we  think  of  a  farmer  cutting  down  his 
apple  orchard  and  giving  as  his  reason  that  he 
must  devote  his  time  to  the  improvement  of  apple 
blossoms?     Perhaps    we    would    say    that    that 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        111 

fanner  must  have  been  converted  to  the  New 
Theology  method,  for  that  is  what  this  school  is 
doing.  They  are  trying  to  cut  down  the  tree. 
They  deny  the  Deity  of  Christ  and  Eedemption 
by  His  blood,  they  never  teach  the  necessity  of 
the  new  birth,  they  ignore  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  they  deny  the  Resurrection  of  the  body, 
the  Miracles,  the  Personal  Second  Coming  of 
Christ,  the  days  of  Judgment,  Heaven  and  Hell 
as  real  places,  in  short,  they  would  cut  down  the 
tree,  while  they  devote  themselves  assiduously  to 
learned  discussions  on  blossoms.  It  is  so  fine,  so 
cultured,  so  practical!  God  help  us  to  apply  our 
religion  to  every  day  life,  and  reveal  Jesus  Christ, 
for  this  is  our  supreme  task,  and  should  be  our 
holy  delight ;  but  it  is  as  easy  to  produce  blossoms 
and  fruit  by  destroying  the  tree,  to  erect  a  great 
building  by  throwing  to  the  winds  the  architect's 
plan,  to  live  in  a  physical  body  without  a  head 
or  a  heart,  as  it  is  to  have  a  wholesome  society, 
a  Christian  civilization  without  believing  and 
teaching  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Chris- 
tian Religion.  What  blood  and  bones  are  to  the 
body,  so  doctrines  are  to  the  Church  of  Christ. 
Oh  the  pity,  the  folly,  the  insanity  of  any  the- 
ology, or  scheme  of  social  reconstruction,  that 
would  turn  man's  thoughts  away  from  the  great 
realities  of  the  future  life — man's  larger  life,  his 
permanent  life.  Man's  life  here  is  important,  its 
responsibilities  are  great  and  numerous,  but  it  is, 
after  all,  like  the  chick  peeping  in  its  shell  to  be 


112     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

set  free,  it  is  like  the  grain  of  gold  flowing  from 
a  mountain  range  of  gems,  in  a  narrow  and 
swiftly  rmming  current,  to  an  ocean  that  is  shore- 
less. 

MiSINTEKPEETING   FIGURATIVE    LANGUAGE 

In  describing  the  attitude  of  the  New  and  Old 
Theology  to  Things  To  Come  there  is  another 
fact  that  should  be  considered,  namely,  the  way 
Modernism  treats  the  highly  figurative  portions 
of  the  Bible,  especially  those  figurative  parts 
found  in  the  Book  of  Daniel,  our  Lord's  dis- 
courses on  His  Second  Coming,  and  the  major 
part  of  the  Book  of  Eevelation.  They  refer  to 
these  portions  of  our  Bible  as  **  apocalyptic,  *' that 
is,  in  their  thought,  untrustworthy,  highly  pic- 
torial and  figurative,  and  not  to  be  understood  in 
any  literal  sense,  and  serving  absolutely  no  prac- 
tical purpose. 

Scholars  tell  us  that  there  are  fourteen 
apocryphal  books  in  all,  but  these  never  had  a 
place  in  any  of  our  Protestant  Bibles.  The  Book 
of  Daniel  and  the  Book  of  Revelation  never 
properly  belonged  to  that  collection;  but  because 
we  find  in  these  great  books  some  of  the  same 
style  of  highly  pictorial  literature,  we  find  in  the 
fourteen  books  mentioned.  Modernism  would  be- 
little those  two  inspired  productions.  It  should 
be  said,  however,  that  this  is  not  the  real  reason 
why  this  school  speaks  slightingly  of  Jesus, 
Daniel,  and  the  Apocalypse,  or  the  Book  of  Reve- 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        113 

lation.  The  reason  as  given  above  is  a  covert 
one,  given  to  conceal.  The  cause  for  the  rejec- 
tion of  these  two  books  by  our  modern  rational- 
ists is,  that  they  do  not  want  to  accept  the  doc- 
trines of  these  books  relative  to  the  Personal 
Coming  of  Christ,  the  Millennium,  and  the  King- 
dom of  God,  when  our  Lord  shall  reign  on  earth. 
Here  then  is  their  real  reason  for  slurring  these 
great  inspired  books,  speaking  of  them  as  *' apoc- 
alyptic.'' About  two-thirds  of  these  books  were 
written  in  the  highly  figurative,  pictorial,  sym- 
bolic, or  as  the  New  Theology  says,  in  the 
** apocalyptic"  style. 

It  should  not  be  imagined  that  because  a  liter- 
ature is  highly  figurative  that  it  is  of  no  value, 
as  we  sometimes  hear  ignorant  persons  remark. 
Great  authorities  in  literature  affirm  that  figura- 
tive language  is  more  rich,  more  suggestive,  more 
full  of  meaning  than  literal  language.  As  Dr. 
Sylvester  Burnham  of  Colgate  Divinity  School, 
one  of  our  greatest  living  Bible  scholars,  truly 
said,  **A11  figures  of  speech  can  be  reduced  to 
their  literal  meaning. ' '  The  Bible  contains  much 
figurative  language.  Our  Lord  often  resorted  to 
the  use  of  figures  of  speech  in  order  to  make  the 
Truth  more  vivid  and  impressive.  Let  us  not, 
therefore,  think  that  the  Book  of  Daniel  and  the 
Book  of  Eevelation  can  be  ruled  out  because  these 
books  contain  some  highly  figurative  language.  It 
is  the  business  of  the  student  to  find  the  meaning 


114     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

of  the  symbols  employed,  and  give  to  men  the 
interpretation  as  God  intended  he  should  do. 

Here  is  an  illustration  of  the  way  that  Modern- 
ism treats,  for  instance,  the  Book  of  Revelation. 
The  late  Dr.  W.  N.  Clarke,  who  produced  a  New 
Theology  text  book,  entitled  **An  Outline  of 
Christian  Theology,'^  in  which  he  gives  the  New 
Theology  point  of  view,  says  on  page  388,  in  re- 
ferring to  the  Book  of  Revelation,  that  this  book 
*^was  neither  intended  for  exact  fulfillment  nor 
capable  of  receiving  it. ' '  What  he  meant  is,  that 
the  prophecies  contained  in  this  book  are  not 
trustworthy,  but  spurious.  Of  course,  if  they 
were  not  ** intended  for  exact  fulfillment,''  they 
are  untrustworthy.  Thus  he  seems  to  deny  the 
inspiration  and  authority  of  this  book.  His 
method  of  discrediting  the  Apocalypse  is  obvious. 
It  is  easy  to  get  rid  of  the  teaching  of  a  book 
if  one  does  not  care  to  accept  it  by  saying  that 
it  cannot  be  fulfilled,  that  it  is  untrustworthy. 
Dr.  Clarke  did  not,  in  so  many  words,  say  that 
this  book  is  a  fabrication  or  spurious  as  a  Divine 
revelation,  but  his  words  would  naturally  convey 
that  idea.  However,  an  assertion  of  this  kind 
does  not  prove  this  book  to  be  spurious. 

The  same  writer  again  states  of  this  book  that, 
**It  gloriously  exalts  Christ  and  foretells  His  vic- 
tory." Does  not  this  sound  strange  following  the 
former  statement?  The  book  is  ^^not  intended 
for  exact  fulfillment,  nor  capable  of  receiving  it," 
yet  *4t  exalts  Christ  and  foretells  His  victory." 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        115 

How  would  a  contradictory  statement  like  that 
be  received  in  a  court  of  justice?  This  is  a  fair 
sample  of  the  way  in  which  modernism  treats  the 
Bible  as  a  whole.  It  might  be  said  that  this  is 
their  uniform  method  of  handling  the  Bible.  It 
seems  that  what  Dr.  Clarke  meant  to  say  was, 
parts  of  this  book  I  accept  and  parts  I  reject. 
Yet  we  cannot  but  ask,  how  can  this  book  *  ^fore- 
tell Christ  ^s  victory,''  if  its  prophecies  are  *  in- 
capable of  being  received,''  and  were  *^not  in- 
tended for  exact  fulfillment?" 

Millennium  Rejected 

Again,  this  same  author  further  states,  **we 
cannot  make  time-calculations  about  its  millen- 
nium in  the  20th  chapter."  He  affirms  on  the 
same  page,  388,  **  since  this  is  the  only  mention 
of  a  millennium,  it  follows  that  there  is  no  ground 
for  a  question  of  a  pre-millennial  or  post-millen- 
nial advent. ' '  This  is  only  another  way  of  saving 
that  we  cannot  afford  to  believe  God  unless  He 
repeats  Himself  and  submits  His  revelation  to 
two  or  more  witnesses.  John's  veracity  is  ques- 
tioned, his  testimony  ruled  out  (this  great 
Apostle  who  is  now  banished  and  suffering  in  a 
prison  cell,  who  was  ready  to  lay  down  his  life 
for  his  Divine  Lord),  by  the  twentieth  century 
New  Theology,  albeit  that  this  same  Apostle  is 
one  of  those  to  whom  God  intrusted  a  special 
revelation  regarding  the  Second  Coming  of  His 
Son. 


116     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

New  Theology  Dilemma 

However,  if  this  principle  of  exegesis  is  sound, 
then  we  shall  have  to  reject  most  of  our  Bible, 
for  in  rare  instances  did  God  give  any  inspired 
writer  the  identical  revelation  He  gave  to  other 
writers.  It  becomes  obvious  that  such  a  method 
of  interpretation  is  iconoclastic,  unscientific, 
ignoring  every  principle  of  interpretation.  It  is 
a  rejection  of  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
an  exaltation  of  man's  wisdom  above  the  Word 
of  God.  And  we  have  in  not  a  few  pulpits  men, 
who  ought  to  know  better,  who  are  spinning  this 
arrogance  of  Modernism,  pretending  a  superior 
scholarship,  and  claiming  to  give  **  *the  true  his- 
torical interpretation,'  ^the  modern  point  of  view 
of  religion,'  *  something  acceptable  to  the  modern 
man,'  *the  results  of  the  latest  scholarship,'  " 
and  that  as  a  result  of  this  exhibition  of  their 
ignorance,  they  have  knocked  the  Old  Theology 
** moss-backs"  into  a  cocked  hat.  If  we  had  the 
genius  of  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself,  we  could  not 
describe  in  words  the  ignorance  and  impotence, 
if  not  blasphemy,  of  this  so-called  New  Theology. 

Yet  this  is  the  abomination  that  is  crammed 
into  the  minds  of  the  students  in  not  a  few  of  our 
seminaries  as  a  preparation  for  the  holy  work 
of  winning  the  world  to  God.  Hear  what  the  in- 
spired John  says  about  this  majestic  book: 

**For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth 
the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book.  If  any 
man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add 


MODERNISM  AND  ESCHATOLOGY        117 

unto  Mm  the  plagnes  that  are  written  in  this 
book: 

**And  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the 
words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  Book  of  Life,  and 
out  of  the  holy  city,  and  from  the  things  which 
are  written  in  this  book."    (Rev.  22:18-19.) 

Here  then  are  the  woes  pronounced  upon  the 
teachers  who  deny  or  misrepresent  this  final  mes- 
sage of  God  to  man. 

We  have  dwelt  at  length  under  this  general 
division  of  our  topic,  and  we  trust  the  way  has 
been  cleared  for  what  shall  follow,  as  we  examine 
some  of  the  great  Christian  doctrines,  those  who 
have  to  do  with  man^s  future,  and  see  what  is  the 
attitude  of  Modernism  toward  them. 

We  shall  take  up  in  subsequent  chapters: 

First.  The  Second  Coming  of  Christ. 

Second.  The  Resurrection. 

Third.  The  Judgment. 

Fourth.  The  Message  of  the  Apostolic  Church. 

Fifth.  The  Church  and  Its  Message  One. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  RATIONAL  STUDY  OF  THE  SECOND  COMING  OF 
CHRIST 

The  Second  Coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  key  to  future  things.  If  we  do  not  see  this 
we  cannot  interpret  the  Bible,  and  endless  con- 
fusion will  result.  Let  the  student  fail  to  see 
that  Jesus  Christ  himself,  in  his  coming  tri- 
umphant manifestation,  is  the  only  solution  of 
the  problem  of  life,  the  secret  of  man's  triumph, 
and  he  cannot  teach  the  Bible;  he  will  be  forced 
to  adopt  some  scheme  of  philosophy,  like  evolu- 
tion, in  order  to  explain  the  purposes,  methods 
and  plan  of  God.  At  no  point  therefore  in  the 
great  Christian  Revelation  is  the  New  Theology, 
or  Modernism,  so  decidedly  at  war  against  the 
Bible  as  its  teachings  regarding  the  coming  of 
Christ.  They  are  quite  aware  that  they  cannot 
hold  to  this  revelation  and  teach  Modernism,  or 
any  other  kind  of  *4sm,''  as  a  substitute  for  Jesus 
Christ.  Consequently,  here  is  where  the  battle  is 
j&ercest  to-day;  and  it  is  here  where  the  forces 
of  Satan  will  meet  their  final  overthrow. 

The  position  of  Modernism,  as  opposed  to  the 

118 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  119 

Bible,  is,  that  our  Lord  will  never  return  to  this 
planet  in  personal  or  bodily  appearance ;  that  the 
coming  of  Christ  is  unseen,  moral  and  continu- 
ous ;  that  He  is  coming  as  fast  as  He  can  get  into 
this  world,  in  the  unceasing  operation  of  natural 
phenomena,  and  by  the  gradual  unfolding  opera- 
tion of  evolution  in  the  natural,  mental  and  moral 
world.  They  also  say  that  He  has  ever  been  com- 
ing in  history ;  that  He  came  and  manifested  His 
life  and  power  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  in  the 
presence  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  there ;  that 
He  came  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  in 
judgment  upon  that  city,  as  He  has  repeatedly 
done  in  the  life  of  nations;  and  that  He  always 
comes  at  death.  At  death,  they  affirm,  there 
occurs  the  culmination  of  the  coming  of  Christ. 

The  New  Theology  claims  that  both  the  Master 
and  His  Apostles  expected  that  He  would  return 
to  this  earth  in  their  own  day,  in  personal  appear- 
ance, but  in  this,  they  say,  they  were  mistaken. 
They  admit  that  the  New  Testament  undoubtedly 
teaches  a  personal  return  of  Jesus,  but  that  this 
must  be  brushed  aside  as  too  literal  and  a  deeper 
meaning  found  in  the  language  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture. 

To  the  foregoing  we  would  reply  briefly,  re- 
minding ourselves  only  of  some  of  the  o'utstand- 
ing  truths,  and  which  will  constitute  a  complete 
refutation  of  Modernism.  We  shall  make  plain 
how  far  afield  the  New  Theology  has  run  in  its 
opposition  to  the  facts  of  the  Bible. 


120     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

All  biblical  scholars  of  note  are  agreed  that  the 
New  Testament  teaches  a  personal  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Even  so  radical  a  teacher  of 
Modernism  as  Dr.  Shailer  Mathews  admits  this 
fact.  The  late  Dr.  W.  N.  Clarke,  a  New  Theology 
teacher  and  author,  says  on  page  399 — **  Chris- 
tian Theology'' — in  referring  to  the  words  our 
Lord  used  in  setting  forth  His  coming,  **this  lan- 
guage is  borrowed  directly  from  the  Prophets 
.  .  .  who  applied  it  to  events  on  the  earth,  in 
which,  of  course,  it  could  not  be  literally  ful- 
filled.*' It  would  seem  that  the  argument  here  is, 
because  the  language  was,  as  Dr.  Clarke  says, 
** borrowed  from  the  prophets,"  it  cannot  be  liter- 
ally fulfilled. 

Eejection  of  the  Prophets 

The  above  is  another  way  of  saying  that  the 
Prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  also  were  mis- 
taken, and  that  Jesus  and  the  New  Testament 
writers  used  their  misleading  statements  either 
wilfully  or  ignorantly.  Thus,  according  to  these 
teachers,  Jesus  Christ  has  misled  the  world  ever 
since  as  to  His  Second  Coming.  But  all  such 
teaching  should  be  accepted  at  its  face  value.  It 
is  the  Prussian  point  of  view,  abetted  by  British 
and  American  Modernism,  against  both  the 
Prophets  and  Jesus  Christ.  But  some  of  these 
teachers  reply:  **We  would  prefer  not  to  say  that 
Jesus  was  mistaken  but  that  He  used  pictorial 
language  to  reveal  a  spiritual  fact. ' '    Does  it  not 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  121 

appear  strange,  however,  that  Jesus  should  do 
this  thing,  knomng  that  His  Apostles  would  mis- 
understand Him?  That  they  understood  Him  to 
teach  a  literal  Personal  Eeturn  to  this  earth  is 
unquestioned,  as  a  great  volume  of  passages 
makes  clear.  We  quote  only  one  of  these:  **Ye 
men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into 
Heaven?  This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up 
from  you  into  Heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  man- 
ner as  ye  have  seen  Him  go  into  Heaven." 
(Acts  1:9-11.) 

Manner  of  His  Coming 

Here  is  a  plain  literal  statement  as  to  the  man- 
ner of  His  Coming,  and  shows  that  this  was  the 
view  held  by  the  New  Testament  writers.  This 
being  true,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
when  our  Lord  used  language,  setting  forth  His 
Coming  in  the  heavens,  in  a  personal,  visible 
manner.  He  intended  His  disciples  to  understand 
it  as  a  literal  fact?  As  stated,  the  disciples  so 
understood  it.  And  is  it  fair  to  put  the  judgment 
of  the  men  of  our  late  day  over  against  the  view 
held  by  those  men,  namely,  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke, 
John,  Peter  and  Paul — those  who  were  the  great- 
est interpreters  of  what  Jesus  said,  who  knew 
Him  personally,  heard  His  words,  and  to  whom 
He  gave  His  truth  to  pass  on  for  unborn  mil- 
lions? We  affirm  that  this  is  a  reasonable  as- 
sumption, more  reasonable  than  to  believe  that 
God  waited  until  the  dawn  of  Darwin  and  Shailer 


122      MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Mathews,  or  the  Modernists  of  the  Nineteenth 
and  Twentieth  Century  to  show  to  them  and  to 
the  world  that  the  Apostles  were  mistaken  in  this 
matter. 

Were  the  Apostles  Mistaken? 

Were  the  Apostles  really  mistaken  as  to  the 
time  of  our  Lord's  coming?  The  New  Theology 
boldly  affirms  that  they  were. 

Jesus  taught  that  His  Coming  is  imminent,  that 
is,  it  is  imminent  in  the  sense,  and  only  in  the 
sense  that  no  one  could  possibly  know  the  day 
or  the  hour  of  this  great  event.  He  commanded 
His  disciples  to  watch  for  it,  to  be  ready  for  the 
Coming  King.  He  says:  *^But  of  that  day  and 
hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  of 
heaven,  but  my  Father  only.''  (Matt.  24:36.) 
And  in  verse  42  He  says:  *' Watch,  therefore,  for 
ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come." 
Again  in  Matt.  25:13,  ''Watch,  therefore,  for 
ye  know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour  wherein 
the  Son  of  man  cometh."  The  Apostles,  there- 
fore, did  not  know  the  time  of  His  Coming,  and 
how  natural,  as  true  disciples  of  Jesus,  that  they 
should  be  looking  for  it.  In  so  doing  they  proved 
their  loyalty  to  their  Lord. 

The  Apostles  never  affirmed  that  Jesus  was 
coming  in  their  day,  but  they  did  state,  over  and 
over  again,  that  they  were  looking,  expecting, 
watching  for  His  Reappearance,  as  every  true 
Christian  from  that  day  to  this  has  been  looking 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  123 

for  Him,  expecting  Jesus  to  come  back.  This  is 
the  true  Christian  attitude  toward  Jesus  Christ. 
It  is: 

1.  An  attitude  of  faith; 

2.  An  attitude  of  obedience; 

3.  An  attitude  of  hope  (the  blessed  hope) ; 

4.  An  attitude  of  expectant  love; 

5.  An  attitude  of  tranquil  peace; 

6.  An  attitude  of  holiness ; 

7.  An  attitude  of  joy; 

8.  An  attitude  that  is  the  great  incentive  to 
service. 

9.  An  attitude  that  transforms  the  common- 
place and  turns  life  into  a  gladsome  song. 

Had  the  Apostles  done  otherwise  than  to  teach 
that  Jesus  might  come  at  any  hour  they  would 
have  been  unfaithful  to  their  Lord.  Believing  in 
His  Coming  proved  their  loyalty,  as  it  is  one  of 
the  tests  of  true  discipleship.  Instead,  therefore, 
of  using  this  expectant  attitude  of  the  disciples 
as  an  argument  against  the  Second  Coming  of 
Christ,  and  as  proof  that  the  Apostles  taught 
that  He  would  come  in  their  day,  it  is  rather  the 
strongest  argument  in  behalf  of  His  Personal 
Coming,  and  an  unanswerable  argument  at  that. 
But  one  of  the  facts  in  this  connection  which  we 
desire  to  stress  is,  that  the  Apostles  never  posi- 
tively affirmed  that  Jesus  would  return  in  their 
day. 


124     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Much  Confusion  of  Thought 

There  exists  to-day  much  confusion  of  thought 
regarding  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.  The 
cause  for  this  is  obvious.  One  of  the  principal 
reasons  is  because  the  pulpit,  in  most  cases,  has 
been  silent  regarding  it,  and  the  theological  semi- 
naries also  are  disinclined  to  discuss  it.  During 
the  three  years  of  the  writer's  attendance  at  a 
certain  seminary,  he  never  heard  the  doctrine 
mentioned,  though  the  seminary  is  supposed  to 
be  the  place  where  the  Bible  is  studied,  and  this 
is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  teachings  in  the 
Word  of  God.  The  silence  of  the  churches  and 
the  seminaries  is  due  to  a  number  of  reasons. 
The  pulpit  is  somewhat  fearful  of  discussing  a 
question  that  may  appear  unpopular.  It  is  so 
easy  to  float  with  the  current,  and  many  preach- 
ers prefer  that  to  a  struggle  against  error.  They 
seek  the  line  of  least  resistance.  For,  let  it  be 
remembered,  to  the  world  outside,  and  to  the 
world  inside  the  church,  this  is  rather  an  unpop- 
ular doctrine.  It  ought,  of  course,  to  be  the  most 
popular  of  all  doctrines,  but  a  sinning  world  and 
a  wordly  church  and  pulpit  never  can  love  the 
appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To  all  such 
this  teaching  would  be  decidedly  awakening  and 
disturbing,  hence  the  silence  on  the  part  of  many. 
It  requires  piety  to  teach  this  revelation  and  live 
up  to  its  high  and  holy  demands. 

Another  cause  of  the  confusion  and  silence,  and 
it  might  also  be  said,  of  the  general  ignorance  re- 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  125 

garding  this  truth,  is  due  to  the  fact  that  there 
are  taught  a  variety  of  views  as  to  our  Lord's 
Appearing,  and  most  plain  people  have  never 
taken  the  time  to  study  closely  these  various 
opinions  and  learn  what  the  Sacred  Word  says 
about  it,  and  thus  arrive  at  an  intelligent  deci- 
sion for  themselves.  Many  persons  do  not  even 
know  the  difference  between  pre-millennial  and 
post-millennial.  They  have  not  examined  closely 
into  the  above  points  of  view  and  they  hold  mth 
total  indifference  any  teaching  that  presents  the 
Coming  as  Personal  and  visible  either  as  pre- 
millennial  or  post-millennial.  For  the  sake, 
therefore,  of  clarity  of  thought  we  shall  submit 
definitions  and  fully  explain  the  principal  teach- 
ings regarding  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.  It 
is  believed  that  after  the  reader  has  studied 
these  he  will  be  in  a  position  to  intelligently  de- 
cide that  which  is  true  or  false  regarding  the 
coming  of  our  Lord. 

POST-MILLENNIALISM 

By  post-millennialist  is  meant  a  person  who 
holds  to  the  view  that  Jesus  will  not  return  until 
first  the  Millennium  has  come.  Those  who  believe 
this  maintain  that  the  world  is  gradually  becom- 
ing better  and,  under  the  influence  of  the  Gospel, 
will  finally  become  so  highly  civilized  or  Chris- 
tianized, that  all  people  everywhere,  black  and 
white  and  yellow,  Mohammedans,  Buddhists, 
Confucians,  Parsees,  Israelites,  Brahmans,  Athe- 


126     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

ists,  Agnostics,  Infidels,  will  have  become  follow- 
ers of  Christ — until,  in  other  words,  the  last 
human  being  will  have  been  saved.  The  post- 
millennialist  believes  that  as  a  result  of  the  in- 
dividual evangelization  of  every  human  being  the 
peoples  of  the  earth  will  have  been  transformed 
into  a  perfect  race,  a  heavenly  Christian  brother- 
hood, a  perfect  socio-religious  society  that  is 
called  in  the  Bible,  the  Millennium.  And  when  the 
perfect  state  will  have  come,  then  the  Lord  Jesus 
will  return  to  this  earth  in  Personal  Visible  Ap- 
pearance as  King  to  rule  over  the  nations  as 
**King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. '^  This  then 
is  what  is  known  as  post-millennialism. 

Origin  and  Philosophy  of  Post-Millennialism 
It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  this  view  was 
foreign  to    the    followers    of    Christ    until    the 
eighteenth  century  when  it 

was  instituted  by  Daniel  Whitby,  an  English  divine,  or  pro- 
claimed by  him  as  a  new  hypothesis,  namely,  that  the  Church 
would  prosper  and  extend  until  the  world  should  be  converted, 
and  this  triumph  of  the  Church  would  constitute  the  Mil- 
lennium; and  that  Jesus  would  not  come  until  after  the 
Millennium.  No  wonder  that  he  calls  it  a  "new  hypothesis" 
for  he  himself  bears  testimony  in  his  ''treatise  on  Traditions" 
that  the  doctrine  of  the  millennium,  or  the  reign  of  Saints 
on  earth  a  thousand  years,  passed  among  the  best  of  Chris- 
tians for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  for  a  tradition 
APOSTOLICAL,  and  as  such,  is  delivered  by  many  fathers 
of  the  second  and  third  century,  who  speak  of  it  as  the 
tradition  (teaching)  of  our  Lord  and  His  Apostles. 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  127 

For  want  of  space  v/e  refer  the  reader  to  "The  Voice  of 
The  Church,"  by  D.  T.  Taylor,  to  show  the  long  line  of 
eminent  witnesses,  embracing  Hermas,  Justin,  and  the  Mar- 
tyrs, Luther,  Melanchthon,  Mede,  Milton,  Bunyan,  Burnett, 
Watts,  Wesley,  Toplady,  and  a  host  of  others,  illustrious  in 
the  annals  of  the  Churcli,  who,  through  the  past  eighteen  cen- 
turies, have  borne  overwhelming  testimony  to  the  truth  of 
the  pre-millennial  coming  of  Christ.  (From  "Jesus  is  Com- 
ing," by  W.  E.  Blackstone,  pp.  23,  24.) 

From  the  above  it  is  clear  why  post-millennial- 
ists  seldom,  if  ever,  teach  the  Coming  of  the 
Lord,  or,  if  they  do  teach  it,  this  great  event  is 
always  preceded  by  the  Millennimn. 

The  question  is,  "will  the  coming  of  Christ  occur  before 
the  Millennium,  and  may  it,  therefore,  happen  at  any 
moment;  or  will  it  occur  after  the  Millennium,  and  thus  be, 
at  least,  a  thousand  years  in  the  future,  as  post-millennial- 
ists  believe."     (Blackstone,  p.  24.) 

To  this  school  the  Coming  of  Christ  is  **a  far 
oif  divine  event  toward  which  the  whole  creation 
moves,"  and  that  their  business  is  to  prepare 
the  world  for  it  by  first  bringing  in  the  Millen- 
nium. According  to  this  view,  the  preparation, 
therefore,  and  not  His  Coming  is  of  the  greater 
importance,  which  necessarily  makes  this  doc- 
trine of  our  Lord^s  Return  one  of  secondary 
value  and  relegates  it  to  the  background.  This 
accounts  for  the  indifference  on  the  part  of  many 
Christians  to  His  Coming.  Indeed,  the  American 
Church  is  showing  far  more  interest  in  the  return 
of  our  soldier  boys  from  France  than  it  has  ever 


128     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

manifested  in  the  greatest  event  in  the  future 
history  of  man:  the  return  of  the  Son  of  God. 

This  is  why  the  post-millennialist  never  refers 
to  His  Return  as  **that  blessed  hope"  (Tit. 
2:13),  and  why  he  considers  the  Second  Advent 
as  rather  visionary,  and  of  small  concern.  The 
claim  is  made  that  the  world,  in  its  present  state, 
does  not  need  this  message,  that  its  deepest  need 
is  a  boost  toward  the  natural  brotherhood  of 
man.  Of  course  they  must  admit  that,  judging 
by  the  slow  progress  the  Church  has  made  dur- 
ing the  last  nineteen  hundred  years,  it  will  be 
many  millenniums  yet  before  the  Lord  can  come 
back,  before  the  earth  will  be  turned  into  a  Para- 
dise, ready  for  the  great  King,  unless,  as  they 
say,  *  *  the  Church  universal  should  suddenly  wake 
up  and  evangelize  the  world."  Little  wonder 
why  this  glorious  doctrine  of  our  Lord's  Return 
has  no  power  over  the  vast  majority  of  Chris- 
tians in  America,  when  post-millennialism  has 
been  for  a  century  the  view  generally  presented. 
His  appearing  is  the  lost  hope  of  modern  Chris- 
tianity. The  powerful  incentive  to  holiness,  soul- 
winning  and  missionary  service  which  this  doc- 
trine brings  cannot  grip  the  hearts  of  Christians. 
So  little  interest  in  His  Coming  is  in  evidence 
that  those  whose  testimony  rings  out  clear  and 
strong  on  this  ** blessed  hope"  are  viewed  with  a 
bit  of  suspicion  and  as  a  rather  peculiar  people. 
They  tell  us  that  the  Millennium  will  be  brought 
in  through 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  129 

the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  plus  good  clean  politics,  a 
League  of  Nations,  perchance,  better  tenements,  hospitals  and 
charitable  institutions,  through  doctors,  nurses,  philanthro- 
pists, trusts,  labor  unions,  secret  societies,  temperance  reform, 
etc.,  etc.     This  is  the  only  vision  of  post-millennialism. 

Pre-Millennialism 

By  pre-millennialism  is  meant  that  the  Lord 
will  return  before  the  Millennium,  that  it  will  be 
the  manifestation  of  His  power  and  glory  as  Son 
of  God  and  King  and  Judge  that  will  finally  usher 
in  the  Millennium.  Pre-millennialists  affirm  that 
this  is  what  the  Scriptures  plainly  teach,  namely 
that  the  w^hole  world  will  not  be  converted  before 
Christ  returns,  but  that  there  will  be,  prior  to, 
His  Second  Advent,  a  great  falling  away,  a  time 
of  ** great  distress  among  nations,*'  and  that  the 
man  of  sin  (Anti-Christ)  must  first  be  revealed. 
It  was  the  Apostle  Paul  who  said : 

Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means:  for  that  day  shall 
not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that 
man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition.  "Who  opposes 
and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is 
worshipped;  so  that  he,  as  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God.  Remember  ye  not 
that  when  I  was  yet  with  you,  I  told  you  these  things.  And 
now  ye  know  what  withholdeth  that  he  might  be  revealed  in 
his  time.  For  the  mystery  of  iniquity  doeth  already  work: 
only  he  who  now  letteth  will  let,  until  he  be  taken  out  of 
the  way.  And  then  shall  that  Wicked  be  revealed  whom 
the  Lord  shall  consume  with  the  Spirit  of  his  mouth,  and 
shall  destroy  with  the  brightness  of  his  coming.  Even  he 
whose  coming  is  after  the  workings  of  Satan  with  all  power 
and  signs  and  lying  wonders.     (II  Thess.  2:1:12.) 


130     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

This  ought  to  settle  the  question  whether  the 
world  is  to  be  converted  before  Christ  returns. 
Listen  further  to  the  words  of  the  Apostle  in 
II  Tim.  3:1: 

In  the  last  days  perilous  times  shall  come. 

Perilous  because  of  the  indifference  of  the  professing 
Church,  because  of  the  waxing  worse  of  evil  men  and  se- 
ducers, because  in  the  world  outside,  of  a  time  of  fierceness, 
unrest,  confusion,  war,  as  described  by  our  Lord  in'  Matt. 
24th  chap., 

as  Dr.  I.  M.  Haldeman  reminds  us  in  his  book, 
'^The  Coming  of  Christ/'  p.  136. 

Pre-millennialists  teach  that  the  good  and  bad 
will  be  here  until  the  end  of  this  age,  the  time  of 
the  harvest,  or  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ,  as 
Jesus  so  clearly  set  forth  in  Matt.  13:37-42. 

There  is  much  loose  and  foolish  talk  about  the 
world  growing  better.  The  race  can  make  moral 
and  spiritual  progress  only  as  men  and  women 
are  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Christ  and  born 
anew  by  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Education 
cannot  change  the  moral  nature  of  man,  neither 
can  environment  redeem.  Better  clothes  and 
food  and  transportation  are  material  advan- 
tages; but  these  things  cannot  lift  the  sinning 
world  to  God.  Social  and  material  improvement 
are  much  to  be  desired,  but  these  things  cannot 
change  a  bad  man  into  a  good  man. 

The  pre-millennial  view  gives  us  a  true  science 
of  history,   a   proper  interpretation   of  human 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  131 

events  and  progress.  We  believe  that  God  has 
always  been  in  history,  but  we  also  believe  that 
much  of  history  has  no  God  in  it.  The  Devil 
has  had  not  a  small  share  in  the  history  of  our 
race,  and  is  playing  a  big  part  in  some  of  the 
schemes  of  our  present  day.  Sin  and  sorrow  and 
heartaches  still  make  up  much  of  the  programme. 
God  can  only  get  into  those  lives  that  welcome 
Him,  and  many  are  still  slamming  the  door  of 
the  heart  in  His  face.  Human  history  has  been 
an  incoming  and  receding  tide.  There  is  no 
scientific  or  historical  proof  that  man  is  any  dif- 
ferent to-day  in  nature  from  what  he  was  thou- 
sands of  years  before  Christ  came.  With  what 
we  believe  is  the  passing,  and  finally  mil  be  the 
complete  collapse  of  the  theory  of  evolution,  we 
shall  come  back  to  a  more  sane  view  of  the  his- 
tory and  nature  of  man.  Man  hates  and  loves 
to-day  as  he  did  in  the  time  of  Cain  and  Abel. 
If  the  increase  in  crime  proves  anything  it  would 
show  that  man  has  rather  degenerated  than  ad- 
vanced. In  the  United  States  crime  is  increasing 
at  an  alarming  rate,  and  has  been  for  one  hun- 
dred years,  yet  in  the  face  of  this  flowing  current 
of  human  blood,  preachers  and  teachers  are  spin- 
ning out  their  false  theories  of  a  rapidly  ad- 
vancing civilization.  To  hear  them  one  would 
get  the  impression  that  they  are  **only  putting 
it  on,'*  in  order  to  appear  as  optimists,  that  this 
is  the  best  front  to  present  in  the  presence  of 
serious  facts  which  call  for  a  true  explanation. 


132     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

We  would  imagine,  to  hear  those  false  teachers, 
that  the  birds  sing  more  sweetly  to-day  than  they 
did  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  that  the  rain  and  sun 
and  atmosphere  are  more  refreshing.  But  babies 
were  as  cunning  and  sweet  and  intelligent  in  the 
ante-diluvian  world  as  they  are  to-day  in  Amer- 
ica, and,  judging  by  the  decline  in  the  birth  rate, 
our  people  probably  think  babies  were  a  bit  more 
attractive  and  welcome  in  the  long,  long  ago.  We 
are  told  that  the  devilish  art  of  strangling  the 
God-given  infant  to  death,  long  before  it  has  a 
chance  to  defend  itself,  was  unknown  to  the 
wicked  ancients;  and  this  form  of  murder  is  one 
of  the  signs  of  a  world  rapidly  growing  better 
under  the  influence  of  modern  education  and  civi- 
lization? No,  men  are  ever  in  nature  the  same, 
only  as  they  are  saved  by  the  power  of  God. 
Life  with  its  joy  and  sorrow,  aspiration  and  dis- 
appointment, progress  and  retrogression  make 
up  the  circle  from  birth  to  growth  and  maturity, 
decay  and  death.  What  we  need  to  see  are  facts 
and  not  fine  spun  theories  which  misrepresent 
life.  The  Word  of  God  has  given  us  the  only 
true  picture  of  humanity  and  the  history  of  our 
race. 

Just  prior  to  the  Great  War  post-millennialists 
declared  that  humanity  had  made  too  much  prog- 
resis  to  ever  have  another  war,  and  while  they 
were  denying  the  Word  of  God,  the  most  terrible 
catastrophe  of  all  time  broke  loose  upon  the 
world.    And,  for  a  short  period,  these  prophets 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  133 

were  silenced.  But  now  they  are  returning  to 
their  false  philosophy.  More  human  beings,  men, 
women  and  helpless  children  were  either  killed 
outright  or  slowly  starved  to  death,  as  a  result  of 
this  war,  than  were  destroyed  by  war  during  the 
first  eight  hundred  years  of  the  Christian  era. 
And  to-day,  when  the  foundations  of  society  and 
civilization  are  tottering,  men  are  shutting  their 
eyes  to  facts,  and  crying,  *'See!  See!  the  Mil- 
lennium is  nearly  here!  Perhaps  to-morrow  it 
will  be  ushered  in!*' 

Many  religious  teachers  talk  as  if  they  had 
only  just  awakened  from  a  long,  long  sleep,  and 
are  oblivious  to  what  has  been  going  on  and  is 
now  transpiring  on  the  earth.  Our  modern  world 
is  on  a  volcano,  and  who  knows  what  may  happen 
to-morrow!  During  the  last  five  years  man^s  sin 
has  caused  14,000,000  men,  women  and  children 
to  go  to  their  graves.  Eivers  of  blood  have  been 
shed.  The  heart  of  the  world  is  still  wrung  with 
grief.  God  forewarned  of  all  this  in  His  Book, 
but  men  are  so  stupid  and  blind  that  they  will 
not  see.  By  the  side  of  this  groaning  ocean  of 
suffering  humanity  they  think  they  almost  hear 
the  music  of  the  Millennium. 

They  tell  us  that  the  great  Allied  Nations  gave 
their  sons  in  a  sacred  cause,  and  that  this  was  a 
holy  war.  Undoubtedly  it  was,  if  war  is  ever 
holy.  But  they  forget  that  our  enemies  say  the 
same  of  their  sacred  dead,  and  that  this  has  been 
the  conviction  regarding  every  war  in  history  on 


134     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

the  part  of  those  who  have  been  called  on  to 
mourn  for  those  they  loved.  But  war  is  war,  and 
**war  is  hell/'  and  war  will  continue  so  long  as 
men  are  out  of  harmony  with  God.  No  human 
Leagues  will  be  able  to  alter  the  fact.  Man 
dominated  by  sin  has  ever  failed,  but  there  is 
coming  a  day  when  war  will  have  been  abolished, 
and  man's  foes  will  have  been  put  beneath  the 
Conqueror's  feet,  when  even  death  itself  will  be 
destroyed,  and  that  glad  day  is  here  when  the 
Great  Deliverer  returns.  The  hope  of  the  Church 
and  the  world  is  in  the  Coming  Lord. 

When  Constantine  was  converted,  and  the  Roman  Empire 
became,  nominally.  Christian  it  appeared  to  many  that  the 
Millennium  had  come,  and  that  they  had  the  Kingdom  on 
earth.  The  Church,  hand  in  hand  now  with  the  world, 
plunged  into  the  dark  ages,  until  awakened  by  God's  great 
prophets  in  the  sixteenth  century,  who  began  to  proclaim 
again  the  comforting  hope  and  blessed  promise  of  the  Coming 
of  Christ;  and  since  that  time  the  subject  so  long  neglected, 
has  been  studied  and  preached  with  increasing  interest. 
Indeed  in  the  last  two  centuries,  it  seems  to  have  risen  (with 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  simple  faith  in  a  crucified 
Saviour)  into  somewhat  the  same  prominence  which  it  occu- 
pied in  the  early  Church.  God  be  praised  for  it.  But  about 
the  year  seventeen  hundred  a  new  error  crept  into  the  Church, 
to  wit:  post-millennialism.     ("Jesus  is  Coming,"  p.  23.) 

We  have  no  space  to  submit  further  proof  that 
Christ  will  come  before  the  Millennium.  We  here 
submit  a  list  of  a  few  of  the  many  passages  which 
clearly  set  forth  this  fact  from  various  points  of 
view.     If  the  reader  still  has  doubt  as  to  the 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  135 

heresy    of    post-millennialism    he    should    study 
earnestly  these  passages. 

The  Anti-Christ  is  pre-milliennial — see  II  Thess.  2:8.  In 
Matt.  24:29-31— The  coming  of  the  Son  of  God  is  said  to 
be  immediately  after  the  Tribulation.  But  this  Tribulation 
is  pre-millennial  or  before  the  reign  of  peace.  Matt.  24:21; 
Luke  21:24,  etc.;  Isa.  24:16-23,  and  60,  2,  etc.  Therefore, 
the  coming  is  pre-millennial. 

The  true  Church  is  a  persecuted,  suffering,  cross-bearing 
people  (John  15:19-21  and  16:33)  thereunto  appointed  (I 
Thess.  3:3)  so  that  "all  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus 
shall  suffer  persecution"  (II  Tim.  3:12);  and  this  will  con- 
tinue until  Christ  comes  (II  Thess.  1:4-10)  which  precludes 
any  Millennium  until  after  His  Coming.  We  are  nowhere 
in  the  New  Testament  directed  to  look  for  the  Millennium 
before  the  coming  of  Christ,  but  are  taught  that  evil  men 
and  seducers  will  wax  worse  and  worse,  that  as  it  was  in 
the  days  of  Noah  and  Lot  so  shall  it  be  at  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  Man.  (Matt.  13;  II  Pet.  3:3-4;  I  Tim.  4:1-2; 
II  Tim.  3:13;  II  Tim.  4:3-4;  Luke  17:26-37;  Matt.  24:37-51.) 
And  such  is  the  number  of  the  tares  that  theii'  destruction 
before  the  har\Tst  would  endanger  the  childi'en  of  the  King- 
dom. This  absolutely  precludes  the  idea  of  a  millennial  reign 
of  righteousness  in  this  dispensation. 

But  while  we  are  not  told  to  look  for  a  Millennium,  we 
are  repeatedly  and  solemnly  enjoined  to  look  for  the  return 
of  the  Lord.  So  again  we  conclude  that  His  return  must  be 
pre-millennial.  The  millennial  kingdom  will  be  a  literal  reign 
of  Christ  on  the  earth  and  not  simply  a  spiritual  exaltation 
of  the  Church. 

"A  King  shall  reign  in  righteousness"  (Isa.  32:1;  Jer. 
23:1-6),   "upon   the   throne   of    David"    (Isa.    9:6-7;    Luke 


136     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

1:32-33),  "in  Jerusalem"  (Jer.  3:17;  Zeeh.  14:16).  The 
Apostles  shall  sit  upon  the  twelve  thrones  (Matt.  19:28) 
and  the  Saints  shall  reign  on  the  earth  (Rev.  5:10).  (From 
"Jesus  Is  Coming,"  by  Dr.  Blackstone.) 

But  did  not  Christ  return  in  His  spiritual  kingdom  at  Pen- 
tecost as  John  the  Baptist  said,  "the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is 
at  hand."  "At  hand."  Here  is  precisely  the  same  as  is  used 
in  Romans  13:12.  "The  day  is  at  hand,"  yet  nineteen  cen- 
turies has  passed  and  still  the  day  has  not  come.  Simi- 
larly, James  5:8,  "The  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh," 
or  is  at  hand — it  is  the  same  word  in  I  Pet.  4:7,  "The  end 
of  all  things  is  at  hand."  Who  would  pretend  that  the  word 
does  not  at  least  permit  not  only  the  lapse  of  a  long  inter- 
vening period  between  the  possibility  of  other  dispensations 
intervening  as  in  last  quotation  from  Peter.  (A.  C.  Gaebelin, 
in  "Our  Hope.") 

FuETHER  Cause  of  Confusion 

Another  cause  of  confusion  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  friends  who  do  not  believe  in  the  Coming 
of  Christ  make  this  great  matter  appear  as  small, 
narrow,  literal,  local,  circumscribed,  or  human- 
like. They  say,  **It  does  not  seem  to  be  like 
God^s  big  universal  way  of  doing  things,''  thus 
they  affirm,  *Hhis  doctrine  dishonors  the  Lord 
and  man's  highest  intelligence.  It  seems,"  they 
say,  **to  be  out  of  harmony  with  the  quiet  order 
of  God  we  see  everywhere.  And  because  of  all 
this,  it  is  most  difficult  to  believe  in  a  Personal 
Physical  Manifestation  or  Coming  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

But  what  are  the  facts  as  to  this  objection?  As 
to  nature  and  her  phenomena  we  find  that  God's 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  137 

plan  therein  has  in  it  sudden  and  decidedly 
abrupt  changes,  in  cyclone,  shooting  stars,  elec- 
tric storms,  and  earthquake,  when,  in  the  latter 
case,  whole  communities  are  sometimes  de- 
stroyed. And  all  this  strange  phenomena  in 
nature  is  necessary.  Nature  seems  to  be  full  of 
the  clysmic,  the  startling,  the  sensational,  all  of 
which  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  order  or 
plan  of  God.  And  why  object  to  the  sudden  and 
startling  in  the  higher  kingdom  when  it  is  part  of 
the  Divine  plan  in  the  lower  order? 

This,  however,  is  not  the  principal  cause  for 
the  confusion  which  exists  regarding  the  Coming 
of  Christ.  It  lies  much  deeper,  and  may  be  dis- 
covered in  part  at  least  in  a  false  presentation 
of  this  glorious  truth.  For  instance,  who  has 
not  heard  the  idea  expressed  that  Jesus  is  com- 
ing in  a  physical  body,  yet  nothing  could  be 
farther  from  the  truth.  The  student  is  asked  to 
go  slowly  here,  to  think  with  great  care,  for  this 
matter  calls  for  the  most  earnest  consideration. 

To  remove  this  difficulty  we  start  by  saying: 
there  are  only  two  bodies  in  earth  and  heaven, 
the  physical  and  the  spirihial  body.  Men  are  liv- 
ing in  the  former,  the  earthly,  Jesus  has  for  the 
center  of  His  Personality  the  latter,  the  heavenly, 
or  the  spiritual  body,  or  better,  as  the  New  Tes- 
tament says,  the  immortal,  the  glorified  body. 
The  earthly,  the  physical  body,  is  in  harmony 
with  the  lower  order,  a  perfect  vehicle  for  man^s 
physical  environment  and  earthly  tenancy,  but 


138     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

the  heavenly,  the  immortal  body,  is  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  higher  order,  the  Kingdom  of 
God. 

Onr  Lord's  body  has  the  human  or  physical 
appearance  only,  and  we  are  far  from  certain 
that  it  has  all  the  appearance  of  his  earthly 
body.  We  must  say  that  there  are  at  least  some 
resemblance,  some  marks  or  signs  of  identity. 
The  nail  prints  are  in  His  hands,  the  spear  mark 
is  in  His  side.  Thomas  saw  these.  (John 
20:25-27.)  With  this  resurrection  symbol  of  the 
triumph  of  man  over  corruption,  as  seen  in 
Christ,  our  Lord  could  enter  into  fellowship,  in 
a  most  personal  way,  with  His  disciples.  He 
could  eat  with  them  and  talk  with  them.  So  far 
as  the  New  Testament  reveals,  it  was  a  body  that 
had  a  resemblance  to  the  body  of  His  humiliation, 
but  it  was  not  a  physical  body  for  it  had  no  blood 
in  it.  In  this  body  Jesus  could  appear  and  dis- 
appear suddenly,  but  this  could  not  be  done  in  a 
physical  body.  There  is  now  in  the  resurrection 
body  no  sign  of  hunger,  thirst,  weakness,  or 
fatigue.  It  had  no  need  of  rest.  It  could  now 
navigate  unhindered  by  gravitation,  and  move 
more  quickly  than  the  sun-ray,  the  lightning,  or 
the  wireless  message.  Marvelous  body!  Glorious 
body! 

Let  us  not,  however,  wonder  at  this  new  body 
of  Jesus,  for  it  is  little  more  marvelous  than 
some  of  the  remarkable  things  we  see  happening 
in  nature.    The  caterpillar  yesterday  is  the  beau- 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  139 

tiful  butterfly  to-day.  The  tiny  germ  of  nine 
months  ago  is  the  charming  baby  to-day  in  its 
mother  *s  arms.  Who  understands  the  beauty, 
wisdom  and  greatness  of  God^s  works?  The 
Apostle  Paul  says:  *^ There  are  also  celestial 
bodies  and  bodies  terrestrial''  (1  Cor.  15:40), 
but  these  bodies  are  different  in  nature,  function 
and  glory.  (Verses  41-50.)  There  is  an  onward 
and  upward  movement  from  the  mortal  to  the  im- 
mortal body  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Yet  some 
might  justly  object  to  this  application  of  the  term, 
evolution.  We  do  not  use  it  as  such.  However 
that  may  be,  we  can  all  find  great  comfort  in  the 
Apostle's  sermon  on  the  Eesurrection,  wherein 
he  reveals  the  importance,  order,  method  and 
victory  of  the  new  immortal  body.  (I  Cor.,  chap. 
15.)  This  is  also  the  body  the  saints  will  have 
in  the  resurrection  life,  and  which  is  presented 
more  fully  in  the  chapter  on  The  Eesurrection. 
We  are  confining  our  thoughts  here  to  the  new 
body  of  Jesus,  and  the  important  bearing  this  fact 
must  have  on  the  reasonableness,  the  rationality 
of  the  Second  Coming,  or  of  His  Glorious  Ap- 
pearing. (Titus  2:13.)  Let  us  therefore  rid  our 
thought  of  the  impression  that  the  Lord  will  re- 
turn in  a  physical  body,  for  as  the  Apostle  Paul 
says,  **Now  this  I  say  brethren  that  flesh  and 
blood  cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God." 
(I  Cor.  15:50.)  Of  this  glorious  body,  belonging 
to  the  higher  order,  into  which  the  saved  shall 
enter,  we  know  absolutely  nothing,  only  that  it  is 


140     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

immortal  and  glorious,  indestructible  and  eter- 
nal. But  beyond  these  general  facts  silence  is 
becoming.  It  is  the  symbol  through  which  the 
Second  Person  in  the  Godhead  manifests  Himself 
in  His  relation  to  man,  thus  showing  us  in  a 
never-ending  way  His  own  eternal  love.  We  are 
not  saying  that  Jesus  Christ  is  wholly  confined 
to  this  body,  for  being  God  in  nature  the  attribute 
of  omnipresence  must  be  His.  But  His  infinite 
Personality  and  Heart  are  ever  revealed  to  men 
through  the  exalted,  glorified  human  body. 

We  have  dwelt  at  length  on  this  point,  in  order 
to  stress  the  fact  that  the  Coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  will  not  be  in  a  physical,  but  in  an 
immortal  body,  and  that  it  is  as  much  in  harmony 
with  God's  order  in  His  Kingdom  that  His  Son 
should  thus  manifest  Himself  again  as  is  the 
earthly  manifestation  to-day  on  the  part  of  men 
by  means  of  earthly  physical  bodies. 

God  has  ever  manifested  Himself  to  men  in 
symbols.  Nature  herself  is  a  vast  collection  of 
symbols  in  which  or  by  which  God  reveals  His 
wisdom,  power  and  love.  Even  the  work  of  the 
Divine  Spirit  in  this  dispensation  is  to  reveal  to 
us  Jesus,  the  earthly,  human,  suffering  Jesus, 
and  the  Jesus  of  the  Resurrection  and  the  glory 
and  the  Second  Coming.  Man  cannot  conceive  of 
existence  aside  from  some  kind  of  symbolism. 
The  first  Advent  of  our  Lord  was  in  a  body 
which  was  subject  to  natural  laws,  the  second  Ad- 
vent will  be  in  a  body  which  is  not  subject  to 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  141 

natural  laws.  It  will  not  be  a  physical  body  that 
shall  descend  to  Mount  Olivet,  but  aji  immortal 
body,  the  radiance  and  glory  of  which  will  sur- 
round our  planet.  As  He  tried  to  express  it  to 
His  disciples  in  Matt.  24:27,  ''For  as  the  light- 
ning Cometh  out  of  the  east  and  shineth  even 
unto  the  west;  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the 
Son  of  Man  be.^'  In  verse  30  He  adds:  ''And 
then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  in 
heaven" — the  sign  is  the  glorified  human  body. 
The  redeemed  mil  know  Jesus  by  that  sign.  Here 
He  comes,  our  real  Brother,  our  exalted  Head, 
yet  very  God  of  very  God.  Let  not  the  thought- 
less say  that  this  is  clysmic  and  sensational. 
Doubtless  His  Coming  will  be  all  that  to  those 
who  reject  Him.  But  infinitely  more  than  the 
sweet  sun-burst  of  the  morning  light  is  to  our 
awakening  vision  will  the  glory  of  His  Coming 
be  to  those  who  love  Him — "unto  all  them  that 
love  his  appearing."    (I  Tim.  4:8.) 

From  what  has  been  said  we  conclude  "that 
beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  our  Lord  in- 
tended His  disciples  to  understand,  that  for  some 
great  purpose,  and  in  some  visible  manner,  and 
at  some  unknown  future  time,  He  would  come 
back  again." 

This  chapter  is  concluded  with  some  general 
observations. 

1.  God  did  not  reveal  to  His  Son  when  He  was 
on  earth  the  time  of  His  return  to  this  planet, 
but  He  did  reveal  to  Kim  what  the  state  of  the 


142     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

world  would  be  prior  to  His  return,  and  the  signs 
that  shall  precede  His  Second  Advent. 

Admitting  what  has  been  said  to  be  true, 
does  not  permit  to  argue  against  a  Visible  Com- 
ing, nor  to  affirm  that  the  time  of  His  Second 
Advent  is  not  now  known  to  Jesus  Christ.  Doubt- 
less after  He  was  glorified  in  Heaven,  the 
Father  made  clear  to  His  Son  the  time  of  His 
Second  Advent. 

2.  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem  of  which  our 
Lord  prophesied  in  Matt.,  24th  chapter,  and 
Luke,  21st  chapter,  was  doubtless  intended  as  a 
type  of  His  Second  Coming,  to  wit:  it  would  be 
a  time  of  judgment. 

3.  That  the  Second  Coming  did  not  occur  at 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  known  by  the  fact 
that  there  was  then  no  Resurrection  of  the  right- 
eous dead  as  Paul  makes  clear  will  occur  at  the 
Coming  of  Christ.     (I  Thess.  4:17.) 

4.  A  reign  of  righteousness  and  peace  did  not 
come  to  this  earth  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  such  a  reign  is  revealed  in  Rev.  20:5-6 
when  our  Lord  returns,  or  soon  thereafter. 

5.  Jesus  Christ  came  in  judgment  to  the  Jews, 
as  a  nation,  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  but 
there  was  no  General  Judgment  of  the  righteous 
at  this  time,  as  will  occur  at  the  Second  Coming 
of  Christ.  This  is  the  Judgment  of  rewards,  and 
on  the  basis  of  works,  and  will  take  place  at  the 
Marriage  Supper  of  the  Lamb,  immediately  after 
the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.     (I  Thess.  4:17.) 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  143 

6.  Jerusalem  was  destroyed  in  70  a.d.,  but  we 
have  a  distinct  prophecy  of  the  Coming  of  Christ 
about  the  year  95  a.d.,  the  time  when  John  wrote 
the  Book  of  Revelation.     (Rev.  20:6.) 

The  Holy  Spibit  and  the  Second  Coming 

Further,  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  could 
not  have  been  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  of 
our  Lord^s  Return,  and  for  the  following  rea- 
sons: 

The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  revealed  by 
Jesus  to  be: 

1.  To  convict  the  world  of  sin  because  men  re- 
ject Christ  as  their  Saviour;  but  Jesus  when  He 
Comes  will  destroy  or  banish  sin.    (John  16:8-9.) 

2.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  convict  men  of  their 
need  of  righteousness,  but  righteousness,  after 
the  Coming  of  Christ,  A\ill  become  universal. 
(John  16:10.) 

3.  The  Holy  Spirit  comes  to  convict  the  world 
of  God's  righteous  Judgment;  but  Jesus  at  His 
Coming  will  execute  Judgment.     (John  16:11.) 

4.  The  Holy  Spirit  comes  to  reveal  Jesus  as 
Saviour;  but  Jesus  at  His  Coming  will  conclude 
the  age  of  gospel  grace.  (John  16:13-14)  (Rev. 
22:11.) 

5.  The  Holy  Spirit  when  He  comes  does  not 
destroy  death;  but  Jesus  \vill  abolish  death  at 
His  Coming.  (Heb.  2:14-15;  John  3:8;  II  Tim. 
1:10.) 

6.  The  Holy  Spirit  works  unseen ;  but  the  Com- 


144     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

ing  of  our  Lord  will  be  a  Visible  Event,  when 
He  will  be  ** honored  in  His  people/'  (II  Thess. 
1:10;  John  16:13;  Eev.  1:7.) 

7.  The  sign  of  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire  which  rested 
on  the  disciples;  but  the  sign  of  the  Coming  of 
Christ  will  be  His  own  visible  glory  in  the 
heavens.     (Acts  2:3;  Matt.  24:30.) 

8.  Many  of  the  prophecies  of  our  Lord's  Com- 
ing were  made  after  the  advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
on  Pentecost,  including  all  these  found  in  the  New 
Testament  outside  the  four  Gospels.  This  fact 
alone  is  sufficient  to  prove  beyond  a  doubt  the  fal- 
lacious contention  of  the  New  Theology,  namely: 
that  the  prophecies  of  the  Second  Coming  of 
Christ  are  wholly  fulfilled  in  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the 
Work  of  Christ,  as  revealed  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, are  in  a  sense  as  distinct  as  the  office  of 
President  and  Secretary  of  State  in  these  United 
States;  and  only  the  misinformed  would  confuse 
or  identify  them  as  one.  One  in  Nature  they  are, 
but  not  one  in  function,  though  working  co-ordi- 
natively  in  the  great  Trinity  of  God. 

This  is  the  Church  Age,  not  the  age  of  the 
triumphant  Kingdom.  This  is  the  Day  when  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  God  is  here  to  build  up  the  re- 
deemed Church,  or  the  Mystical  Body  of  Christ. 
The  Day  of  the  universal  Kingdom  will  follow 
the  Coming  of  Christ,  when  the  real  King  and 
His    Kingdom    will    be    manifested    on    earth. 


SECOND  COMING  OF  CHRIST  145 

Toward  this  glorious  consummation  we  advance, 
and  thus  we  pray:  ''Thy  Kingdom  come/'  And 
while  we  labor  and  wait  and  watch,  let  us  yield 
ourselves  to  the  Holy  Spirit  who  represents 
Jesus  here  to-day,  for  only  can  we  honor  and 
worship  the  absent  Lord  as  we  honor  His  Rep- 
resentative. Let  Him  preside  in  the  work  of  the 
Church. 

Soon  our  day  of  suffering  and  trial  will  be 
over,  for  the  Great  King  Himself  will  come,  and 
all  will  be  changed.  Our  night  mil  be  turned 
into  morning,  our  sorrow  into  joy,  our  tears  into 
laughter,  our  fear  into  glad  Hosannahs!  The 
sound  of  His  voice  will  not  be  as  the  thunders, 
but  resonant  mth  the  tones  of  eternal  love,  the 
sweetest  music  in  Heaven.  The  manifestation  of 
His  presence  will  not  alarm  His  loved  ones.  The 
light  that  shall  illumine  the  world  will  not  dazzle 
our  eyes;  it  will  be  sweet  and  effulgent,  softer 
than  the  holiest  sunset,  or  the  twilight  glow;  it 
will  comfort  and  quiet,  transform  and  cheer,  for 
it  will  be  the  very  light  of  God.  0  Day  of  exulta- 
tion, for  all  the  earth  shall  know  that  the  Lord 
God  is  here  in  His  might!  This,  then,  beloved 
children  of  God,  is  no  time  for  despair.  What  if 
the  earth  should  reek  and  groan  beneath  the 
curse  of  man's  sin,  and  the  blackness  of  the  mid- 
night should  convulse  our  social  order,  and  men 
should  rave  and  oppress  and  destroy!  Ring  out 
sweet  bells  of  joy!  Ring  out  sweet  bells  of  an 
eternal  emancipation!    Ring  out  sweet  bells  of  a 


146     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

happy  never-ending   reunion,   for  the  Lord   of 
Glory  is  coming  for  His  own  I 

It  may  be  at  morn,  when  the  day  is  awaking, 
When  sunlight  thro'  darkness  and  shadows  are  breaking, 
That  Jesus  will  come  in  the  fullness  of  glory. 
To  receive  from  the  world  "His  own." 

It  may  be  at  midday,  it  may  be  at  twilight, 
It  may  be  perchance,  that  the  blackness  of  midnight 
Will  burst  into  light  in  the  blaze  of  His  glory. 
When  Jesus  receives  "His  own." 

While  its  hosts  cry  Hosanna,  from  heaven  descending 
With  glorified  saints  and  the  angels  attending, 
With  grace  on  His  brow,  like  a  halo  of  glory. 
Will  Jesus  receive  "His  own." 

Oh,  joy!    Oh,  delight!    Should  we  go  without  dying; 
No  sickness,  no  sadness,  no  dread,  and  no  crying; 
Caught  up  thro'  the  clouds,  with  our  Lord  into  glory, 
When  Jesus  receives  "His  own." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MODERNISM  AND  THE  RESURRECTION 

It  has  been  seen,  according  to  Modernism  or  the 
modern  rationalism,  that  the  Coming  of  Christ  is 
a  continuous  event  which  culminates  at  death. 
We  shall  now  examine  this  theology  further 
as  to  its  teachings  concerning  the  Resurrection. 
It  will  be  seen  to  be  a  denial  of  the  Resurrection 
of  the  body.  The  New  Theology  teaches  that 
God  will  never  raise  up  man's  body  from  the 
dust,  in  the  Day  called  in  Scripture,  the  Resur- 
rection Day,  or  the  Last  Day,  and  give  to  man  a 
new,  a  glorified,  an  Immortal  Body. 

Resurrection  at  Death 

The  New  Theology  teaches  that  the  Resurrec- 
tion occurs  at  death  for  both  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked.  The  late  Dr.  Clarke  says:  **If  we 
accept  the  view  of  Christ's  Coming  that  has  been 
expressed  on  previous  pages,  we  shall  naturally 
think  that  each  human  being's  resurrection  takes 
place  at  death."  (Page  410,  Ch.  Theo.)  Again 
he  states:  **It  is  most  probable  that  the  human 
spirit  will  arise  from  death  to  the  life  beyond 

147 


148     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

with  an  organism  adapted  to  its  uses  in  that 
life.^'  (Page  409,  Ch.  Theo.)  And  again:  ^at 
is  not  taught  that  Christ's  Resurrection  added  a 
new  element  to  human  destiny. '^  (Page  407,  Ch. 
Theo.)  These  references  furnish  us  with  a  clear 
view  of  the  position  of  Modernism  as  to  the 
Resurrection.  Let  us  examine  these  teachings  in 
the  light  of  Scripture  and  see  if  they  have  any- 
thing on  which  to  stand. 

There  is  not  a  hint  in  Scripture  that  the  Resur- 
rection takes  place  at  death.  Further,  we  have 
not  the  slightest  reason  to  suppose  that  the  New 
Testament  writers  attached  any  other  meaning 
to  the  Resurrection  than  the  reviving  of  dead 
bodies.  The  term  *^  Resurrection ''  cannot  be 
Scripturally  used  if  applied  only  to  the  spirit  of 
man,  yet  this  is  the  only  sense  in  which  the  New 
Theology  uses  it.  They  say  that  it  is  the  spirit 
of  man  and  not  his  body  that  is  raised  up  at 
death,  not  that  the  spirit  dies,  but  that  it  passes 
on  or  is  raised  up,  having  been  clothed  with  the 
new  body  or  organism  at  the  moment  of  its  de- 
parture from  the  human  body.  But  the  New 
Testament  writers  never  speak  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  a  living  spirit  at  death;  with  them  it  is 
always  the  ** Resurrection  of  the  dead,'*  some- 
thing that  is  dead  and  not  something  that  never 
dies.  Moreover  it  is  always  presented  as  an 
event  that  occurs,  not  at  death,  but  that  shall  take 
place  at  some  future  time.  If  the  Resurrection 
takes  place  at  death,  as  the  New  Theology  affirms, 


MODERNISM  AND  THE  RESURRECTION     149 

then  it  is  an  ever-occurring  event,  a  past,  present 
and  future  event  of  perpetual  occurrence,  taking 
place  as  often  as  a  human  spirit  passes  out  of  the 
body.  But,  as  stated,  there  is  no  support  in 
Scripture  for  this  speculation. 

To  make  clear  that  the  Resurrection  does  not 
take  place  at  death,  and  that  it  has  not  occurred 
in  the  past,  but  is  an  event  of  the  future,  note  the 
Apostle  PauPs  words:  **Who  concerning  the 
truth  have  erred,  saying  that  the  Resurrection  is 
past  already;  and  overthrew  the  faith  of  some.*' 
(II  Tim.  2:18.)  It  is  inconceivable  that  the 
Apostle  Paul  would  have  used  such  words  if  the 
Resurrection  takes  place  at  death.  If  this  were 
the  case,  he  would  have  said,  '*The  Resurrection 
is  an  event  of  continuous  occurrence  as  it  takes 
place  at  death.''  The  only  possible  conclusion 
from  the  Apostle's  words  is,  that  the  Resurrec- 
tion had  not  taken  place  up  to  that  time,  that  it 
is  an  event  of  the  future.  It  might  be  added  here, 
if  God  decreed  the  Resurrection  to  take  place  at 
death,  why  did  He  make  an  exception  to  His  uni- 
versal plan  as  seen  by  the  time  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  Christ? 

Resurrection  and  Second  Coming  Simultaneous 
Events 
Note  further  that  the  Resurrection  and  the  Sec- 
ond Coming  of  Christ  are  simultaneous  occur- 
rences in  New  Testament  teaching.  The  New 
Theology  so  views  them  in  assigning  these  events 


150     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

to  the  hour  of  death.  But  we  have  seen  that  these 
events  do  not  occur  at  death,  hence  we  must  look 
to  the  future  for  both  the  Resurrection  and  the 
Second  Coming  of  Christ.  And  here  the  Scrip- 
tures blaze  the  way.  The  Apostle  Paul  associates 
them  together  in  his  first  letter  to  the  Church  at 
Corinth.  He  says:  **B'ut  every  man  in  his  own 
order;  Christ  the  first  fruits  (from  the  dead); 
afterward  they  that  are  Christ's  at  His  Coming. 
Then  cometh  the  end.  (I  Cor.  15:23-24.)  Here 
are  three  events  occurring  simultaneously: 

The  Second  Coming  of  Christ; 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Saints ; 

The  End  of  the  Gospel  Age. 

And  this  is  in  keeping  with  the  Scriptures 
throughout. 

New  Testament  Position 

What  does  the  New  Testament  teach  as  to  the 
Resurrection  of  the  body?  Have  we  ample  rea- 
son for  believing  that  God  will  raise  the  dead? 
Well,  God  has  already  raised  some  from  among 
the  dead.  He  raised  up  Jesus  Christ  and  others. 
But  do  the  Scriptures  teach  that  there  is  a  Resur- 
rection for  all  men?  To  this  our  Lord  replies. 
He  was  affirming  a  General  Resurrection  and  the 
men  of  His  day  marveled,  they  shook  their  wise 
heads  and  said,  ** Impossible,''  or,  as  our  Modern- 
ists would  say,  ** unscientific,  sheerest  nonsense." 
But  to  the  rationalists  in  our  Lord's  day  we  hear 
Him  replj;  ** Marvel  rot  at  this;  for  the  hour 


MODERNISM  AND  THE  RESURRECTION    151 

is  coming,  in  which  all  that  are  in  their  graves 
shall  hear  His  voice,  and  they  shall  come  forth.'' 
(John  5:28.)  The  New  Theology  speculators 
were  a  bit  shocked  at  this  startling  announce- 
ment. We  can  fancy  that  they  ridiculed  the  Man 
of  the  Open  Grave,  saying:  **This  fellow  is  igno- 
rant, he  never  went  to  college,  he  is  not  familiar 
with  the  latest  scientific  works,  he  has  not 
brushed  up  against  university  men,  and  is  out  of 
touch  with  modern  thought.*'  But  we  hear  Jesus 
say:  **Do  not  wonder  at  this,  for  the  time  is  com- 
ing when  all  who  are  in  their  graves  will  hear 
His  voice  and  will  come  out."  When  He  speaks, 
we  shall  hear  His  voice  and  come  forth  to  Judg- 
ment and  to  Glory.  Father  will  come  out. 
Mother  will  come  out.  Loved  ones  will  come  out. 
They  will  all  come  out.  No  one  will  be  missing 
there.  And  to  put  double  emphasis  an  this  great 
event  Jesus  adds:  ''And  this  is  the  Father's  will 
which  hath  sent  me,  that  of  all  which  He  hath 
given  me  I  should  lose  nothing,  but  should  raise 
it  up  again  at  the  Last  Day."  (John  6:39.)  In 
verse  40  He  says:  ''And  this  is  the  will  of  Him 
that  sent  me,  that  every  one  which  seeth  the  Son, 
and  believeth  on  Him,  may  have  everlasting  life ; 
and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  Last  Day."  The 
following  facts  are  clearly  revealed: 

1.  It  will  be  a  Resurrection  of  dead  bodies. 

2.  It  will  occur  on  the  Last  Day. 

3.  Immortality  for  the  entire  man,  for  body, 


152     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE) 

soul  and  spirit,  is  conditioned  on  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  the  saints,  and  is  never  spoken  of  as  be- 
longing to  the  unsaved.  The  unsaved  in  Hell 
have  everlasting  existence,  but  they  have  not  an 
immortal  body.  They  are  not  glorified.  Even 
the  state  of  their  existence  is  called  in  Scripture 
** everlasting  punishment,''  *^The  Second  Death, '^ 
'^everlasting  destruction,"  etc. 

Further,  we  should  not  overlook  the  fact  that 
dead  bodies  were  raised  up  in  our  Lord's  day  on 
earth.  When  He  raised  Lazarus  He  designated 
to  Himself  a  new  name.  To  assure  Mary  and 
Martha  of  His  mission  He  said:  **I  am  the  Resur- 
rection and  the  Life,"  that  is  as  if  He  had  said: 
**I  have  power  in  Myself  to  raise  the  dead  and 
impart  the  Glorified  Life,  the  Immortal  Life." 
At  the  Saviour's  death  God  gave  witness  to  its 
acceptance  as  an  Atonement  for  sin,  by  raising 
up  some  of  the  saints.  **A^d  the  graves  were 
opened;  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  which 
slept  arose,  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  His 
resurrection,  and  went  into  the  holy  city,  and  ap- 
peared unto  many."    (Matt.  27:52.) 

The  Immortal  Body 

And  we  should  not  fail  to  see  that  Immortality 
for  the  entire  man  is  conditioned  on  his  life  in 
Christ,  that  is,  for  body,  soul  and  spirit,  and  that 
it  is  always  associated  in  the  New  Testament 
with  the  Resurrection  of  the  Saints.  Immortality 


MODERNISM  AND  THE  RESURRECTION    15S 

in  the  Bible,  in  its  relation  to  man,  never  means 
endless  existence  aside  from  this  Glorified  Body, 
but  rather  a  glorified  existence  with  Christ  in  the 
New  Immortal  Body.  This  is  a  truth  that  should 
not  be  forgotten.  Dr.  Clarke  says:  **It  is  not 
taught  that  Christ's  Resurrection  added  a  new 
element  of  human  destiny.  (Page  407,  Ch.  Theo.) 
But  over  against  this  New  Theology  we  must 
place  the  authority  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  He  says : 
**For  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the 
likeness  of  His  death,  we  shall  be  also  in  the  like- 
ness of  His  Resurrection."  (Rom.  6:5.)  Here 
then  is  added  a  new  element  of  infinite  value, 
namely:  likeness  to  Christ's  Resurrection.  In 
other  words,  the  new  element  added  is,  an  Im- 
mortal Body.  No  hint  is  given  in  the  Scriptures 
of  this  Immortal  Body  aside  from  the  redeemed 
in  Christ  and  His  Resurrection.  As  a  commen- 
tary on  this  glorious  truth,  the  Apostle  again 
stated:  **But  now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead, 
and  become  the  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept. 
For  since  by  man  came  death,  by  man  came  also 
the  Resurrection  of  the  dead.  And  as  we  have 
borne  the  image  of  the  earthly,  we  shall  also  bear 
the  image  of  the  heavenly.  (I  Cor.  15:20,  21, 
49.)  Again:  *^And  He  is  before  all  things,  and 
by  Him  all  things  consist :  And  He  is  the  head  of 
the  body,  the  Church;  Who  is  the  beginning,  the 
firstborn  from  the  dead:  that  in  all  things  He 
might  have  the  pre-eminence.''  (Col.  1:17-18.) 
In  the  light  of  these  passages,  we  affirm  again 


154     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

that  Christ's  Resurrection  added  a  new  element 
to  human  destiny,  namely,  an  Immortal  Body. 

Here  then  is  the  summary  of  what  we  have 
already  learned  of  the  Resurrection : 

1.  The  Resurrection  does  not  occur  at  death 
but  is  an  event  of  the  future. 

2.  Jesus  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead. 

3.  This  was  the  first  Resurrection  of  its  kind 
that  has  ever  occurred  in  human  history,  because 
in  Christ  we  see  the  first  Immortal  and  Glorified 
Body  of  human  appearance,  a  type  of  the  New 
Bodies  which  His  saints  shall  have  in  the  Resur- 
rection. 

4.  Christ's  Resurrection  was  the  first-fruits  of 
those  who  are  at  rest.  In  other  words,  it  shows 
the  Saints  what  they  are  to  be  in  the  Resurrection 
Body. 

5.  Being  an  Immortal  Body  it  was  the  first  of 
a  new  race  of  redeemed  men,  as  the  body  of 
Adam  was  the  first  of  a  new  race  of  human 
bodies. 

6.  Likeness  to  Christ  means  identity  with  Him 
in  this  new  Immortal  Body. 

7.  Christ  being  the  Head  of  the  Body,  the 
Church,  it  follows  that  the  Body  must  be  pos- 
sessed with  the  same  Immortal  Life  as  the  Head. 

8.  Likeness  thus  to  Christ  in  the  Immortal 
Body  is  the  ultimate  of  redemption,  in  so  far  as 
it  has  been  revealed  to  us  in  the  Word  of  God. 


MODERNISM  AND  THE  RESURRECTION    155 

It  was  a  glimpse  of  this  New  Immortal  Body 
which  David  had  when  he  said :  *  *  I  shall  be  satis- 
fied when  I  awake  with  Thy  likeness/'  (Ps. 
17:15.)  As  our  Lord's  death  is  the  basis  of  our 
forgiveness  and  reconciliation,  so  likemse  His 
Resurrection  is  the  pledge  of  our  Salvation  and 
Resurrection  in  an  Immortal  Body. 

Only  in  Christ  is  man  Immortal,  that  is,  in  the 
Scriptural  meaning  of  this  term,  and  as  used  in 
these  pages.  Man  exists  outside  of  Christ,  but 
he  is  not  Immortal.  If  we  belong  to  Christ,  that 
is,  if  we  have  been  made  anew  by  the  operation 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  if  we  have  been  translated 
out  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness  into  the  kingdom 
of  God's  dear  Son,  then  **This  corruptible  must 
put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must  put  on 
immortality."  (I  Cor.  15:53.)  Surely  a  new  ele- 
ment has  been  added  to  humanity  by  the  Resur- 
rection of  Christ,  viz.,  an  Immortal  Body.  It  is 
clear,  therefore,  that  the  New  Theology  is  in  con- 
flict with  the  New  Testament  in  its  teaching  on 
the  Resurrection. 

Paul's  Consistency 

Again,  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
Apostle  Paul's  teaching  on  the  Resurrection  is 
consistent  throughout.  His  words  in  II  Cor. 
5:1-4,  which  in  part  reads:  **For  we  know  that, 
if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dis- 
solved, we  have  a  building  of  God,  a  house  not 
made  wHh  hands,  eternal  in  the  heaven??,"  etc, 


166     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

cannot  be  used  as  a  denial  or  refutation  of  his 
other  teachings  on  the  Eesurrection,  as  seems  to 
be  claimed  by  the  New  Theology.  These  words 
by  the  Apostle  Paul  are  somewhat  obscure,  the 
meaning  of  which  is  by  no  means  as  clear  as  his 
other  teaching  on  the  Resurrection;  nevertheless, 
they  are  in  no  wise  a  denial  of  the  Resurrection 
of  the  body. 

If  these  words  can  be  construed  as  suggesting 
the  possibility  of  a  new  body  for  man  to  inhabit 
at  the  hour  of  death,  then  this  new  body,  or  to 
use  the  Apostle's  words,  this  ** house  which  is 
from  Heaven ''  (verse  2),  cannot  be  the  Resur- 
rection Body,  and  can  serve  only  as  a  temporary 
organism  or  vehicle  for  the  spirit  of  man  between 
death  and  the  Resurrection,  after  which  man  will 
get  his  permanent,  his  Glorified  Body  in  which 
he  will  forever  dwell.  By  no  law  or  principle  of 
exegesis  can  we  make  the  Apostle's  words  here 
define  his  idea  of  the  Resurrection  Body.  Doubt- 
less the  idea  prominent  in  the  Apostle's  mind  is 
that  God  in  His  own  gracious  infinite  provision 
will  not  leave  His  child  alone  at  the  hour  of 
death,  but  will  fully  protect  and  provide  for  the 
wants  of  the  spirit  of  man  at  that  hour.  This 
is  the  fact  that  should  be  emphasized  here  in  this 
connection,  and  not  the  precise  way  in  which  God 
will  do  this  service  or  make  His  provision.  The 
Apostle  Paul's  words  are  somewhat  ambiguous 
as  to  just  what  he  means  by  this  **  house  from 
Heaven.'*    One  thing  is  evident  that  he  did  not 


MODERNISM  AND  THE  RESURRECTION    157 

have  in  mind  the  Resurrection  Body,  and  no  hon- 
est interpreter  will  so  construe  them.  Some  in- 
terpreters claim  that  ''this  house  which  is  from 
Heaven'^  means  that  God  has  a  dwelling-place 
for  His  child  to  inhabit  at  the  hour  of  death,  in 
the  heavenly  world. 

Now  note,  it  is  this  somewhat  obscure  passage 
at  which  the  New  Theology  grasps  to  help  them 
bolster  up  their  theory  that  the  Resurrection 
occurs  at  death,  while  they  brush  aside  all  the 
other  teachings  of  God's  Word  on  this  glorious 
doctrine.  But  we  ask,  why  do  they  thus  treat 
the  Bible?  The  answer  is  clear.  It  is  the  same 
old  story  over  again.  It  is  an  illustration  of  how 
the  evolutionist  uses  the  Scriptures.  This  soli- 
tary passage  is  used  because,  to  the  new  theolo- 
gian, it  seems  more  in  harmony  with  the  theory 
of  evolution  than  do  the  other  teachings  in  the 
New  Testament  regarding  the  Resurrection.  We 
have  shown  heretofore  that  the  evolutionist  is 
consistent  with  his  working  hypothesis,  his  theory 
of  evolution,  on  which  his  New  Theology  has 
largely  been  constructed.  It  is  the  same  illus- 
tration over  and  over  again  of  how  these  men 
exalt  the  wisdom  of  men  above  the  Word  of  God. 
These  theologians  tell  us  that  the  old  doctrine  of 
the  Resurrection  is  unscientific ;  but  all  such  loud- 
sounding,  unproved,  and  unprovable  assertions 
amount  to  nothing.  Science  is  totally  ignorant  of 
how  God  works  in  the  world  unseen,  as  it  is  igno- 
rant also  of  the  processes  of  life  which  we  %qq 


158     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

before  our  eyes  every  day.  It  is  futile  and  fool- 
ish to  claim  that  God  cannot  create  a  New  Body 
at  the  hour  of  the  Resurrection,  with  which  to 
clothe  the  Spirit  of  man.  While  the  new  theologian 
denies  this  old  doctrine  and  refers  to  it  as  un- 
scientific, that  God  should  create  a  New  Body 
at  the  Resurrection  hour,  yet  to  them  it  is  scien- 
tific for  God  to  create  a  new  body  at  the  hour 
of  death.  Their  reasoning  on  this  matter  is,  that 
God  can  do  this  at  the  hour  of  death  but  He  can- 
not do  it  at  some  future  time !  Oh,  the  logic,  the 
wisdom,  the  science  of  the  New  Theology  I  Say, 
my  friend,  can  you  not  furnish  words  sufiiciently 
ironic  to  fully  portray  or  describe  the  reasoning 
process  of  these  scientific  new  theologians?  Con- 
gratulations to  the  profound  science  of  Mod- 
ernism I 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  THE  JUDGMENTS 

We  shall  now  take  up  the  doctrine  of  the  Judg- 
ment. The  New  Theology  approaches  this  doc- 
trine as  it  does  all  matters  relating  to  future 
things,  not  in  a  reverent  attitude  toward  the 
Scriptures,  to  find  out  what  they  teach,  but  in  a 
speculative  sort  of  way,  using  the  Scriptures  only 
in  an  accommodating  sense. 

We  have  seen  in  our  study  thus  far  one  fact 
that  stands  out  prominent  in  the  point  of  view 
of  Modernism  and  that  is,  it  is  consistent 
throughout  with  the  evolutionary  hypothesis. 
This  philosophy  is  their  working  principle,  their 
guiding  star,  hence  every  Scripture  that  appears 
to  be  opposed  to  this  principle  must  be  brushed 
aside,  or  explained  away,  or  if  need  be,  dis- 
credited. For  example,  if  this  type  of  religious 
thinker  finds  numerous  passages  in  the  Scrip- 
tures that  teach  the  very  opposite  of  that  which 
he  believes,  and  only  one  passage  that  seems  to 
favor  his  philosophy,  he  will  ignore  the  former, 
however  plain  they  may  be,  and  work  his  ques- 
tionable passage,  assiduously,  in  order  to  help 
bolster  up  his  teachings.  There  is  furnished  a 
striking  illustration  of  this  in  the  teaching  of  this 

159 


160     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

school    regarding    one    of   the   Judgments,    and 
which  we  shall  take  up  presently. 

Treating  the  Bible  in  this  subversive  manner, 
and  using  it  only  as  an  aid  to  defend  a  certain 
philosophy  is  the  shame  and  moral  crime  of  the 
speculative  new  theology.  In  the  adoption  of  any 
such  method  of  interpretation  reason  is  always 
made  supreme,  philosophy  the  indispensable 
thing,  and  Divine  Revelation  of  secondary  value. 
If  we  keep  this  in  mind  we  shall  understand  why 
men  of  learning,  ability,  and  some  of  apparently 
devout  spirit,  can  teach  as  they  do  regarding,  for 
example,  the  Coming  of  Christ,  the  Resurrection, 
and  the  Judgments.  With  this  in  mind,  it  is  easy 
to  understand  why  these  teachers  say,  **  Jesus 
Christ  comes  at  death,  the  Resurrection  occurs  at 
death,  the  final  Judgment  takes  place  at  death.'* 

Difficulties  Removed? 

This  method  of  interpretation  removes  a  num- 
ber of  difficulties  relative  to  the  facts  or  doc- 
trines referred  to.  Adopting  the  philosophy 
of  evolution  simplifies  the  study.  For  in- 
stance, the  preacher  and  teacher  need  not  now 
bother  about  the  intermediate  state  of  man  be- 
tween death  and  the  Resurrection — to  him  there 
is  no  such  state.  And  he  does  not  need  to  think 
of  the  Millennium — to  him  there  is  no  Millen- 
nium. To  believe  in  the  Millennium,  as  the  New 
Testament  teaches,  would  be  to  oppose  the  prin- 
ciple of  evolution,  which  allows  for  only  a  grad- 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  JUDGMENT       161 

ual  development  of  the  human  race,  with  no  sud- 
den changes.  Introducing  a  Millennium  might 
necessitate  an  abrupt  change,  outwardly  at  least, 
as  would  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ,  the 
Resurrection,  and  the  Judgments,  and  of  course 
such  could  not  be  tolerated  by  the  evolutionist. 
How  smoothly  this  whole  method  works  for  the 
New  Theology  advocate.  Away  old  intermediary 
state,  away  the  Coming  of  Christ  in  the  heavens, 
away  false  Resurrection  hope,  away  old  sensa- 
tional Judgment  Day,  away  all  such  childish  and 
unscientific  notions,  for  they  are  out  of  harmony 
with  the  philosophy  of  evolution!  Isn't  it  sane, 
simple,  practicable,  scientific? 

Does  the  Judgment  Take  Place  at  Death? 

Now,  let  a  close  examination  be  made  of  the 
teaching  of  Modernism  relative  to  the  Judgment. 
This  teaching  places  the  final  Judgment  at  death. 
Dr.  Clarke  states:  *^It  is  certain  that  one  Judg- 
ment occurs  for  every  human  being  in  the  pas- 
sage from  this  life  to  another.''  (Ch.  Theo., 
page  414.)  Note,  this  theologian  says :  ''It  is  cer- 
tain." We  wonder  how  he  knew!  He  did  not 
tell  us.  But  we  are  not  so  sure  about  it.  In  fact, 
there  is  a  big  question  mark  in  our  thought  about 
the  Judgment  taking  place  at  death.  The  apos- 
tasy has  no  place  in  its  speculative  theology  for 
any  Judgment  after  death,  or  some  later  time. 
We  have  the  same  difficulty  in  accepting  this  view 
we  have  in  accepting  any  of  the  New  Theology 


162     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

point  of  view,  and  that  is,  the  Bible  is  not  only- 
silent  as  to  it,  but  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures 
is  opposed  to  it.  That  is  our  trouble.  The  Bible 
states  one  thing,  and  Modernism  states  the  oppo- 
site. That  is  our  trouble.  We  cannot  harmonize 
the  grand  old  Book  and  the  speculative  theology. 
Perhaps  some  day  we  shall  be  able  to  do  this, 
when  we  get  more  light,  when  we  shall  have 
drunk  to  our  mind  ^s  content  of  the  wisdom  of  the 
modern  school;  but  in  our  present  state  of  igno- 
rance we  cannot  harmonize  the  modern  rational- 
ism with  Christ  and  Paul.  Should  it  be  said  that 
the  latter  are  out  of  date?  Who  knows  but  that 
the  New  Theology  lights  are  correct? 

But  let  us  get  down  to  sense :  There  is  one  pas- 
sage on  which  the  New  Theology  author  bases  his 
doctrines  of  Judgment  at  death.  Here  it  is:  **And 
as  it  is  ordained  for  men  to  die  but  once  (death 
being  followed  by  judgment),"  etc.  (Heb. 
9:27.)  This  passage  does  not  say  that  judgment 
occurs  immediately  at  death,  but  it  does  teach 
that  man  goes  into  another  world  in  which  the 
next  great  event  for  him  will  be  the  Judgment  of 
God.  By  any  fair  interpretation  this  is  the  only 
possible  meaning  of  these  words.  And  this  is  in 
harmony  with  the  other  passages  which  throw 
much  light  on  this  matter.  Let  a  few  of  these  be 
examined  and  see  what  they  say. 

Teaching  of  Jesus 
What  does  our  Lord  say  on  this  question  of 


NEW  THEOLOGY  AND  JUDGMENT       163 

Judgment?  The  New  Theology  advocates  are 
quick  to  assert  that  Jesus  Christ  is  a  higher  au- 
thority than  the  Apostle  Paul.  We  are  assuming 
that  Paul  wrote  the  above  passage.  Does  the 
great  Day  of  Judgment  for  man  occur  at  death? 
Jesus  answers:  **The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  rise 
in  judgment  with  this  generation,  and  shall  con- 
demn it.''  And  again,  ^*The  Queen  of  the  South 
shall  rise  up  in  the  judgment  with  this  genera- 
tion, and  shall  condemn  it."  (Matt.  12:41-42.) 
Again  our  Lord  declares :  **  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  in  the  Day  of  Judgment,  than  for 
that  city."  (Matt.  10:15.)  The  Queen  of  the 
South  lived  nearly  1000  years  before  Christ  but 
she  had  not  been  judged.  The  Ninevites  lived 
many  hundreds  of  years  before  Jesus  spoke  these 
words,  but  they  had  not  yet  been  judged.  The 
people  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  lived  nearly 
2000  years  prior  to  Christ's  time,  but  they  had 
not  yet  entered  into  the  Day  of  Judgment.  We 
could  not  imagine  our  Lord  using  these  words 
had  all  these  people  been  judged  at  the  time  of 
their  departure  from  this  world. 

Peter's  Revelation 

The  Apostle  Peter  writing  on  this  same  ques- 
tion of  the  Judgment  says,  in  referring  to  the 
people  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  **The  Lord 
knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  tempta- 
tion, and  to  reserve  the  unjust  unto  the  Day  of 


164     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Judgment  to  be  punished.''  (II  Peter  2:9.) 
Here  we  have  not  only  a  special  Day  of  Judgment 
brought  to  light,  but  we  have  an  intermediate 
state  between  death  and  the  Judgment,  revealed 
also,  that  state  which  Modernists  have  ruled  out. 
From  all  these  passages  and  others  which  might 
be  submitted,  the  following  facts  are  in  evidence : 

1.  The  Judgment  does  not  occur  at  death. 
(Matt.  10:15;  Matt.  12:41-42.) 

2.  Judgment  will  occur  at  some  fixed  day  in  the 
future.     (Acts  17:31.) 

3.  The  Judgment  will  occur  simultaneously  for 
the  righteous.     (I  Thess.  4:17.) 

4.  There  is  an  intermediate  state  for  man  be- 
tween death  and  the  Judgment.  (II  Pet.  2:9; 
Luke  16:23-31.) 

5.  For  the  righteous  the  intermediate  state  is 
Paradise,  for  the  wicked  it  is  Tartarus.  (Luke 
23:43;  II  Pet.  2:4.) 

6.  There  is  a  separate  judgment  for  the  wicked 
called  the  judgment  of  the  great  white  throne. 
(Rev.  20:11-12.) 

In  the  Scriptures  a  variety  of  names  are  given 
to  the  Judgment,  as : 

*^The  Great  Day  of  Their  Wrath.''  (Rev. 
5:15.) 

*^  Judgment  of  the  Great  Day."    (Jude  1:6.) 
*^Day  of  Judgment."    (II  Pet.  2:9.) 
**Day  of  The  Lord."     (II  Pet.  2:10.) 


CHAPTER  X 
MODERNISM  AND  THE  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH 

The  Approach  to  Our  Study 

The  book  of  Acts  shows  us  the  background  of 
the  Apostolic  message  by  giving  us  the  record 
of  the  first  Christian  Church,  its  spiritual  bap- 
tism, simple  organization,  and  nature  and  power 
over  men.  Tradition  says  that  Luke  wrote  this 
book,  the  contents  of  which  suggest  a  rather  early 
authorship,  probably  not  later  than  45  a.d.  The 
silence  of  the  book  regarding  the  missionary 
work  of  Barnabas  may  indicate  that  Luke  had 
not  as  yet  learned  of  the  details  of  his  ministry. 
It  is  thought  by  some  that  Barnabas  labored  in 
remote  parts  of  the  Roman  Empire,  possibly  in 
Africa,  and  that  the  report  of  his  labors  had  not 
yet  reached  Luke. 

Had  the  book  of  Acts  a  late  origin  it  would 
probably  contain  more  general  information  re- 
garding the  spread  of  Christianity.  The  book  is 
made  up  of  the  history  of  the  Church  at  Jerusa- 
lem, and  the  Apostles'  relation  thereto,  of  the 
great  Pentecostal  baptism,  and  missionary  work 
in  neighboring  regions,  and  the  evangelistic  tours 

165 


166     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

of  the  Apostle  PauL    Luke  was  a  companion  of 
Paul  on  these  journeys. 

The  Critics  in  Error,  as  Usual 

The  critics  have  endeavored  to  show  that  the 
Book  of  Acts  was  made  up  of  various  documents, 
written,  as  they  say,  by  different  authors  and 
edited  or  compiled  by  Luke,  to  which  he  added 
his  own  account  of  the  missionary  work  of  the 
Apostle  Paul.  This,  doubtless,  is  an  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  critics  to  cast  reflection  on  that  por- 
tion of  Acts  which  tells  of  the  great  Pentecostal 
baptism.  They  say  that  there  is  in  this  book  a 
variety  of  literary  style,  and  that  the  use  Luke 
made  of  the  personal  pronoun  **we''  in  describ- 
ing the  missionary  journeys  of  the  Apostle  is  not 
found  elsewhere  in  the  book.  It  requires,  how- 
ever, no  argument  to  show  that  this  contention 
is  groundless,  for  it  is  clear  to  the  most  ordinary 
student  the  extreme  to  which  the  critic  has  gone 
in  his  effort  to  discredit  the  Bible.  The  book 
of  Acts  bears  striking  evidence  throughout  of  a 
single  authorship.  The  critics*  argument  is 
faulty.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  the  same  author 
to  have  a  variety  of  style.  The  present  volume 
contains  at  least  two  chapters  quite  different  in 
style  from  the  rest  of  the  book.  Style  is  con- 
ditioned on  psychology,  physiology,  mental 
moods  and  the  subjects  treated.  The  custom  of 
the  New  Theology  to  argue  against  the  single 
authorship  of  Acts,  on  the  ground  of  a  variety 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    167 

of  style,  as  they  do  against  Isaiah  and  other  parts 
of  the  Bible,  is  a  profitless  business,  and  serves 
to  discredit  the  critic  more  than  it  discredits  the 
Bible. 

Background  of  the  Apostolic  Message 

In  studying  the  message  of  the  Apostles  it  is 
necessary  to  see  clearly  the  historic  background. 
Luke  is  a  good  witness  for  he  was  probably  near 
the  scenes  if  he  were  not  actually  present  where 
the  Apostles  had  their  marvelous  experience  with 
Jesus,  and  he,  doubtless,  knew  at  first  hand  of  the 
revelation  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost. 

With  Luke,  Pentecost  was  one  of  the  points  of 
historic  origins  of  the  Church,  although  there  are 
those  to-day  who  hold  that  the  Church  had  its 
origin  only  under  the  direct  personal  influence  of 
Jesus.  It  is  true,  the  symbols  of  the  Church 
originated  prior  to  Pentecost,  as  water  baptism 
and  the  Lord's  supper.  Jesus  had  been  baptized 
as,  doubtless,  were  all  His  disciples — if  not  by 
Him  then  by  His  direction  or  under  His  au- 
thority. The  disciples  also,  with  their  Master, 
commemorated  by  ^^the  breaking  of  bread*'  the 
sufferings  of  Jesus.  But  it  should  be  remembered 
that  the  Church  does  not  consist  of  outward  sym- 
bols only,  but  also  and  much  more  of  reality, 
even  though  the  supper  and  baptism,  which  were 
taken  over  from  Judaism  and  given  a  loftier 
meaning,  were  intended  to  be  permanent  memo- 
rials in  the  Church  of  Christ. 


168     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Again :  we  also  find  that  after  the  Resurrection, 
Jesus  ** breathed  on  His  disciples  and  said  unto 
them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost/'  (John 
20:22.)  But  Pentecost  was  something  even  more 
than  that.  There  was  yet  to  be  seen  and  experi- 
enced a  special  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In 
this  connection  it  should  be  further  observed  that 
there  were  holy  men  and  women  prior  to  the 
Christian  Era  who  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  were  members  of  the  old  Jewish 
Synagogue;  but  this  was  not  the  Christian 
Church.  The  old  was  an  institution  largely  of 
outward  ceremonies,  of  types  and  signs  and  sym- 
bols, comprising  within  itself  one  great  type  of 
the  Christian  Church — the  Mystical  Body  of 
Jesus  Christ.  There  were  some  great  things  that 
were  first  necessary,  in  order  that  God  bring  into 
existence  the  Church  of  Christ.  What  were 
these  ? 

Formation  of  the  Church 

The  Church  was  founded  by  Jesus ;  but  it  could 
not  have  been  crystallized  into  a  great  spiritual 
organism  and  formal  organization  and  sent  on 
its  world-wide  mission  until  certain  events  had 
taken  place,  and,  in  a  measure  had  been  seen  and 
understood.  The  Church  was  not  built  organ- 
ically but  only  historically  on  the  Apostle  Peter. 
The  Church  was  built  on  Christ.  When  Jesus 
said,  **Thou  are  Peter  and  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  church ;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    169 

prevail  against  if  (Matt.  16:17),  He  doubtless 
refers  to  Peter  as  the  historical  character  and 
agent  on  Pentecost,  and  to  that  vision  of  His  own 
Deity,  to  that  confession  of  His  nature  by  Peter 
when  he  said:  *^Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God*'  (Verse  16) ;  for  it  was  this  vision 
at  Pentecost,  of  the  exalted.  Divine  Christ,  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  used  to  kindle  that  mighty  moral 
conflagration  that  was  in  its  very  nature  destined 
to  resist  all  the  powers  of  evil,  or  against  which 
**the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail."  (Verse  17.) 
But  what  were  those  great  events  which  had  to 
be  seen  before  Pentecost  could  become  a  reality 
and  the  Church  an  expanding  power? 

The  Necessity  of  Jesus'  Death 

First  of  all,  it  was  necessary  to  see  that  Jesus 
came  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself. 
This  was  the  way  He  was  to  conquer  Satan  and 
redeem  mankind.  *'For  this  purpose  the  Son  of 
God  was  manifested  that  He  might  destroy  the 
works  of  the  Devil.''  (I  John  3 :8.)  Satan  hates 
the  blood  of  the  Cross.  The  purpose  of  the  in- 
terview on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  between 
Moses,  Elias  and  Jesus  was  to  strengthen  the 
Master  and  prepare  Him  for  the  great  struggle 
with  Satan  in  the  Garden  and  on  the  Cross. 

And  behold  there  talked  with  Him  two  men,  Moses  and 
Elias:  who  appeared  in  glory  and  spake  of  his  decease  which 
he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem.     (Luke  9:30-31.) 


170     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Jesus  did  not  come  to  reign  as  an  earthly  king 
over  the  Jews.  His  Apostles  looked  for  this,  and 
for  places  of  honor  in  the  Kingdom,  but  Jesus 
rebuked  them,  saying:  **Ye  know  not  what  ye 
ask/'  (Matt.  20:22.)  In  verse  28  He  states 
plainly  **the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  minis- 
tered unto  but  to  minister  and  to  give  his  life  a 
ransom  for  many. ' '    The  Apostle  Peter  declared : 

For  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins.  .  .  .  That  he 
might  bring  us  to  God.     (I  Pet.  3 :8.) 

As  Hebrews  has  it: 

By  the  which  will  we  are  sanctified  through  the  offering 
of  the  body  of  Christ  once  for  all.     (Heb.  10:10.) 

Jesus  therefore  came  to  die.  This  was  His 
great  work,  the  giving  of  Himself  up  as  an  offer- 
ing to  God  for  sin. 

Resukrection  and  Ascension  Necessary 

Furthermore,  in  order  that  men  may  under- 
stand the  significance  of  Jesus'  death,  His  resur- 
rection was  necessary.  And  more.  His  ascension, 
exaltation,  and  glorification  in  heaven,  or  His 
being  seated  in  the  place  of  authority,  or  on  the 
throne  of  God.  All  this  had  first  to  take  place 
before  the  Church  could  be  established  on  the 
earth. 

And  all  this  was  necessary  before  the  Holy 
Spirit  could  be  sent. 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    171 

This  Jesus  spake  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  in 
him  should  receive:  for  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  yet  given; 
because  that  Jesus  had  not  yet  been  glorified.    (John,  7:38-39.) 

How  plain,  therefore,  is  every  step  in  the 
Divine  Plan.  Thus  has  been  s^een  the  events 
which  first  had  to  come  to  pass  before  the  Church 
of  Christ  could  be  formed  in  the  earth. 

1.  The  Death  of  Christ  for  the  putting  away  of 
sin. 

2.  The  Resurrection  of  Christ. 

3.  The  Exaltation  and  Glorification  of  Jesus  in 
Heaven. 

4.  The  Coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

God  is  Ready  to  Bun^D 

God  is  now  ready  to  build  His  Church ;  but  how 
is  it  to  be  done?  It  is  to  be  accomplished  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  regenerating  those  who  believe  on 
Jesus,  and  who  call  upon  God  in  prayer.  (Acts 
2:21.)  The  gift  of  tongues  was  given  to  the 
disciples  on  Pentecost  to  mark  the  inauguration 
of  this  great  enterprise,  to  convict  the  Jews  of 
sin,  the  sin  of  rejecting  Jesus  (verse  22),  and  to 
show  the  beginning  of  the  dispensation  of  grace, 
which  is  the  age  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  special 
baptism  could  never  be  repeated,  that  is,  with 
its  miraculous  manifestations,  no  more  than  the 
Incarnation  of  Christ  in  flesh  could  be  repeated. 
It  marked  the  beginning  of  the  New  Age  when 
God  began  to  incarnate  Himself  in  men,  and  to 
deal  with  them  in  grace.     This,  however,  in  no 


172     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

way  denies  the  special  enduement  of  the  Spirit 
upon  believers  in  this  Church  Age,  or  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Church  Ordinances,  a  Place 

In  the  new  expansive  spiritual  power  which 
took  possession  of  the  infant  Church  on  Pente- 
cost and  transformed  it  at  once  into  a  soul-win- 
ning movement,  we  would  not  fail  to  state  that 
the  confession  of  Jesus,  or  the  sign  or  initiation 
into  the  new  fellowship  and  service  was  water 
baptism.  Immediately  upon  the  conversion  of  a 
soul  to  Christ  this  confession  was  enjoined,  for  it 
embodied  in  its  ritualism  a  declaration  of  all 
those  great  events  which  made  the  Church  a 
reality,  namely:  the  death,  resurrection  and 
Lordship  of  Jesus.  This  confession  having  been 
made,  and  by  which  is  declared  the  remission  of 
sins,  the  new  disciple  was  now  ready  for  the  most 
sacred  expression  of  his  love  to  and  fellowship 
with  his  Saviour,  as  illustrated  by  **the  breaking 
of  bread. ' '  In  this  the  sufferings  of  Jesus  in  be- 
half of  sinful  men  is  commemorated.  (Acts 
2 :28-41.)  Doubtless  it  was  in  connection  with  the 
surrender  of  the  life  to  Christ  as  set  forth  by 
water  baptism,  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  experienced,  though  we  have  one  in- 
stance later  when  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  them 
prior  to  water  baptism.  (Acts  10:47.)  Only  a 
few  minutes,  however,  intervened,  for  Peter  at 
once,  following  the  manifestation  of  the  Holy 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    173 

Spirit,  baptized  them  into  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  They  had  previously  been  baptized  by  the 
baptism  of  John.  The  proximity  of  these  two 
baptisms  in  this  instance  confirms  what  has  been 
stated  above,  that  water  baptism  and  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  occurs  in  the  life  of  the  be- 
liever in  Christ  at  practically  the  same  time,  and 
that  the  former  constitutes  in  itself  the  very 
core  of  the  disciples'  confession  of  Jesus  as  Lord, 
and  was  considered  by  the  Apostolic  Church  as 
vital  and  necessary  to  full  discipleship. 

Pentecost  Creates  the  Apostolic  Message 

It  should  be  carefully  noted  that  there  could  be 
no  Apostolic  ministry  until  first  there  had  been 
the  Day  of  Pentecost,  with  its  incarnation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  lives  of  these  disciples,  as  also 
without  this  there  could  be  no  Christian  Church. 
The  Church  is  made  up  of  all  those  who  have 
been  created  in  Jesus  Christ  anew  by  the  ener- 
gizing power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  to  whom  are 
given  a  new  life.  Thus  the  Apostle  Paul  says: 
*^  Therefore,  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new 
creation;  old  things  have  passed  away;  behold  all 
things  are  become  new."  (II  Cor.  5:16.)  The 
Apostolic  ministry  is  the  message  of  this  new 
life.  The  Gospel  is  a  message  of  life ;  that  is  why 
it  is  a  thing  of  power. 

A  Striking  Picture 

Let  us  look  at  the  picture  a  moment.    Jesus  had 


174     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

been  crucified,  and  laid  away  in  Joseph's  tomb. 
The  disciples  lost  hope  and  returned  to  their  old 
callings.  But  to  their  astonishment  Jesus  ap- 
peared and  all  was  changed.  Their  tears  have 
dried,  their  hope  revived,  their  joy  restored,  for 
they  had  seen  the  risen  Lord.  They  were  differ- 
ent men.  Everything  was  changed.  Even  to 
them  death  itself  must  have  lost  its  power.  But 
in  this  time  of  new  resurrection  joy,  did  Jesus 
send  them  out  on  their  life  mission  to  preach  the 
Gospel  of  the  Kesurrection?  Not  yet.  They  were 
not  prepared.  What  can  be  lacking  to  transform 
these  glad  lives  into  flaming  evangelists? 

This  is  what  they  lacked.  Not  yet  did  they  un- 
derstand the  necessity  for  His  death  and  resur- 
rection. They  did  not  know  that  Jesus  must 
ascend  into  Heaven,  be  glorified  there,  and,  that 
to  preach  His  Gospel,  the  Holy  Spirit  must  be- 
come incarnated  in  them.  In  other  words,  they 
needed  a  teacher,  some  one  to  interpret  Jesus  to 
them,  for,  notwithstanding  their  joy.  He  was  still 
a  profound  mystery  to  them. 

Here  then  is  seen  the  importance  of  Pentecost, 
where  the  Spirit  comes  to  take  up  the  work  which, 
in  a  sense,  Jesus  terminated  when  he  ascended 
into  Heaven,  to  be  our  Lord's  Representative  to 
men:  to  interpret  to  men  the  love,  character, 
nature,  mission  or  work  of  Jesus.  Our  Lord  said 
in  speaking  of  the  Spirit:  **He  shall  glorify  me: 
for  he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  shew  it 
unto  you/'     (John  16:14.)     Now  the  disciples 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    175 

have  the  inner  Light,  the  heavenly  Presence  who 
gives  the  mental  and  moral  illumination  to  see 
and  understand  Jesus  Christ. 

This  then  is  the  background  of  the  Church,  and 
the  experiences  in  which  the  Apostles  were  pre- 
pared for  their  great  work. 

The  Vindication  of  Jesus 

But  Pentecost  also  is  where  we  see  the  real 
vindication  of  Jesus,  and  where  the  Apostles 
were  set  on  fire  for  their  supreme  task.  Here  the 
disciples  saw  as  they  never  saw  it  before,  that 
their  Master  is  true.  No  one  on  this  earth  ever 
made  such  a  claim  as  Jesus  Christ,  but  Pentecost 
demonstrated  all  His  claim.  Pentecost  demon- 
strated the  truth  of  the  Old  Testament  prophecy, 
as  the  Apostle  Peter,  God's  spokesman  on  that 
day,  made  clear.  ^  ^  This  is  that  which  was  spoken 
by  the  prophet  Joel ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  in 
the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  wall  pour  out  of  my 
Spirit  upon  all  flesh.''  (Acts  2:16-21.)  Pente- 
cost vindicated  Jesus  in  the  fulfillment  of  the 
promise  He  had  made  concerning  the  coming  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  *'And  I  shall  pray  the  Father 
and  He  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that 
He  may  abide  wdth  you  forever."  (John 
14:16-17.)  ^'But  when  the  Comforter  is  come 
whom  I  will  send  from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit 
of  Truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he 
shall  testify  of  me."  (John  15:16.)  Pentecost 
vindicated  God  who  also  gave  a  similar  promise 


176     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

as  stated  in  Acts  1:4:  **Aiid  being  assembled  to- 
gether with  them,  commanded  them  that  they 
should  not  depart  from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for 
the  promise  of  the  Father  ...  ye  shall  be  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Spirit  not  many  days  hence. ' ' 
Pentecost  made  clear  the  truth  of  all  that  Jesus 
had  said  regarding  Himself.  He  declared  His 
unity  with  God.  '*!  and  my  Father  are  one.'* 
(John  10:30.)  Pentecost  proved  it.  He  said  He 
was  the  Son  of  God.  (Verse  36.)  Pentecost 
demonstrated  that  fact.  Jesus  said  it  was  neces- 
sary that  He  be  crucified,  raised  from  the  dead, 
and  be  glorified,  and  that  then  He  would  send  the 
Holy  Spirit.  (Luke  17:35;  John  15-16.)  Pente- 
cost confirms  all  that.  He  declared  that  to  Him 
was  given  all  power  in  all  worlds  (Matt. 
28:18-20),  and  that  He  had  a  right  to  command 
all  men,  to  lay  down  a  programme  of  world- 
wide evangelization,  for  He  is  the  Lord.  Pente- 
cost vindicates  that  claim. 

If  after  the  Eesurrection  there  lingered  any 
doubt  of  the  truth  of  Jesus 's  words,  and  the 
reality  of  the  world  to  which  he  had  gone,  it  was 
banished  at  Pentecost.  Here  the  disciples  were 
cemented  together  in  the  bond  of  heavenly  love. 
Here  the  world-wide  missionary  movement  had 
its  birth  in  the  Church.  Here  the  Gospel  of  sal- 
vation was  first  preached.  Here  is  where  the 
disciples  first  discovered  that  they  could  win  the 
multitude.  Here  they  saw  for  the  first  time  the 
meaning  of  our  Lord's  death  (Acts  2:23),  His 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    177 

resurrection,  and  exaltation.  How  vital  there- 
fore was  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  order 
to  interpret  to  men  the  character  of  Jesus  and 
His  mission. 

Dr.  a.  J.  Gordon's  Testimony 

As  the  late  Dr.  A.  J.  Gordon  had  so  admirably 
summed  up  this  essential  work  of  the  Second  and 
Third  Persons  in  the  Trinity  in  the  following 
words : 

Not  until  Jesus  had  sat  down  on  his  Father^s  throne,  sum- 
ming up  all  his  ministry  in  himself  "I  am  he  that  liveth  and 
was  dead  and  behold  I  am  alive  for  evermore,"  did  the  full 
Christ  stand  ready  to  be  communicated  to  his  Church.  By 
the  first  Adam's  sin  God's  communion  with  man  through  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  broken,  and  their  union  ruptured.  When 
the  second  Adam  came  up  from  the  Cross  and  Resurrection 
and  took  the  place  at  God's  right  hand,  there  was  a  restora- 
tion of  the  broken  fellowship  between  God  and  man.  .  .  . 
I  The  place  which  the  Son  had  won  in  the  Father's  heart  he 
had  won  for  us  also.  All  of  acceptance  and  standing  and 
privilege  which  was  now  his  was  ours  also,  by  redemptive 
rights;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  was  sent  to  confirm  and  realize 
to  us  what  Christ  had  won  for  us.  Without  the  expiatory 
work  for  us  the  sanctifying  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  us 
were  impossible;  and  on  the  other  hand,  without  the  work 
of  the  Spirit  within  us,  the  work  of  Christ  for  us  were  with- 
out avail.     ("Ministry  of  the  Spirit,"  p.  30.) 

Bunyan  expressed  it,  in  part,  this  way:  *^ Jesus 
is  now  the  Throne  of  Grace  for  He  has  become 
grace  enthroned.^'  Guthrie  said:  **God  is  a  God 
of  order,     Jesus  ascended  into  heaven  to  pre- 


178     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

pare  heaven  for  us  and  sent  the  Holy  Spirit  here 
to  prepare  us  for  heaven."  Jesus  Himself  said, 
in  referring  to  Pentecost,  **In  that  day  ye  shall 
know  that  I  am  in  the  Father  and  ye  in  me  and 
I  in  you  (John  14:20),  and  greater  works  shaU 
ye  do  because  I  go  unto  my  Father/'  (John 
14:2.)  These  Spirit-baptized  disciples  could  do 
what  the  Lord  Himself  had  done  while  in  the 
flesh — win  men  to  God — but  now,  because  of  His 
finished  work,  in  much  larger  numbers.  0  glori- 
ous privilege  of  the  Church  of  Christ!  The  Sec- 
ond Person  is  in  Heaven  working  there  for  us, 
and  the  Third  Person  of  the  Trinity  is  working 
here  in  our  hearts.  Jesus,  in  a  sense,  had  come 
back  to  His  disciples  in  the  Person  of  His  Rep- 
resentative, the  Holy  Spirit,  but  this  is  not  what 
we  mean  by  His  Second  Coming,  which  shines  so 
brightly  on  the  pages  of  the  New  Testament,  and 
of  which  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  special  revelation 
subsequent  to  Pentecost.  Here,  then,  on  Pente- 
cost, in  this  mighty  baptism  of  the  Divine  Spirit, 
is  found  one  of  the  principal  starting  points  of 
the  Church,  as  a  great  moral  power,  an  organized 
and  spirit-filled  missionary  movement.  Pente- 
cost was  necessary  to  give  the  true  meaning  to 
the  person,  doctrine  and  work  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  to  give  the  Church  its  living  message. 

Denial  by  the  New  Theology 

We  have  seen  the  meaning  of  Pentecost  and 
the  character  of  the  Church — how  vitally  the  lat- 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    179 

ter  is  related  to  Christ  its  only  Head,  and  to  the 
Holy  Spirit  its  only  life.  We  shall  stop  here  a 
moment  and  remind  ourselves  of  the  fact  that  the 
New  Theology  is  at  war  against  the  Supernatu- 
ral manifestation  at  Pentecost,  and  in  the  life 
and  work  of  Christ.  We  had  better  make  up  our 
minds  to  marshal  our  guns  and  fight  our  modem 
battle  here  to  a  finish.  It  is  over  the  Super- 
natural, as  stated  heretofore,  that  Modernism  is 
at  war  against  the  Bible. 

We  have  shown  that  the  Modernist  is  an  evolu- 
tionist, and  that  he  has  no  room  in  his  thought 
for  a  miracle,  but  here  is  a  Church  that  is  estab- 
lished on  miracles  and  the  Supernatural.  The 
Incarnation,  Atonement,  Eesurrection,  Ascen- 
sion, Coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Second 
Coming  of  Christ,  all  these,  to  our  understand- 
ing, are  miracles — a  revelation  of  the  Super- 
natural, apparently  aside  from  natural  law. 
This  is  why  the  advocates  of  the  New  Theology 
labor  to  undermine  the  miraculous  element  in  the 
Bible,  and  to  belittle  Pentecost  with  its  **  rushing 
wind,''  and  ** cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire,''  etc. 

Dr.  Rail  of  Denver  University,  who  is  typical 
of  this  School,  says  in  his  *^New  Testament  His- 
tory," p.  145: 

No  one  can  say  that  such  a  miracle  should  not  have  oc- 
curred [referring  to  Pentecost]  .  .  .  such  a  gift  of  foreign 
speech  would  have  had  two  possible  meanings,  one  to  con- 
vince those  outsiders,  tb^  other  to  aid  the  discinle?  in  later 


180     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

foreign  mission  work.     It  failed  to  do  the  jfirst  and  we  do 
find  no  reference  to  the  latter. 

Thus  Dr.  Rail  would  have  us  infer  that  no 
miracle  was  wrought  on  Pentecost.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  it  did  ^* convince  those  outsiders,"  for 
were  not  three  thousand  of  them  converted  in  a 
day?    (Acts  2:41.)    Luke  also  says: 

Now  when  this  was  noised  abroad,  the  multitude  came- 
together,  and  were  confounded,  because  that  every  man  heard 
them  speak  in  his  own  language.  And  they  were  all  amazed 
and  marveled,  etc.     (Acts  2:6-7.) 

It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  the  Christian  Church 
was  established  on  a  Supernatural  revelation  of 
God,  a  revelation  that  made  clear  the  purpose 
and  character  of  His  infinite  love  as  seen  in  the 
sufferings  and  triumph  of  our  blessed  Lord. 


We  have  seen  how  the  Church  came  to  be,  and 
in  this  we  have  learned  the  secret  as  to  how  God 
builds  His  Church  in  every  age.  It  is  evident 
that  the  first  Church  had  a  simple  organization 
only  incident  to  its  new  life.  This  first  Assembly 
of  believers,  or  the  Church,  was  so  plain  and  dem- 
ocratic that  it  appears  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
ecclesiastical  pomp  and  show  of  certain  branches 
of  the  Church  in  our  day.  There  is  always  pres- 
ent the  danger  that  pride  in  numbers  and  wealth, 
with  the  accompanying  feeling  of  special  privi- 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    181 

lege  and  aloofness,  may  take  possession  of  the 
Ministry  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  History  has 
made  it  clear  that  this  has  been  one  of  the  weak- 
nesses of  the  various  branches  of  the  one  true 
Church. 

But  such  was  not  the  sin  of  the  Apostolic 
Church.  They  were  truly  democratic  and 
brotherly.  We  have  seen  that  the  Church  con- 
sists of  a  holy  fellowship  of  regenerated,  Spirit- 
baptized  believers,  built  up  around  Christ  as  its 
living  Head,  and  standing  for  Him,  and  for  the 
great  things  He  accomplished  for  men;  that  this 
fellowship,  with  its  two  simple  ordinances — bap- 
tism and  the  supper,  or  *  *  the  breaking  of  bread, ' ' 
is  built  on  Christ,  headed  up  in  Christ,  so  that  it 
may  rightly  be  called  the  Body  of  Christ.  We 
have  seen  that  this  Church  has,  as  the  secret  of 
its  life,  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  is  the  Spirit  of 
Jesus,  which  is  the  Spirit  of  God.  This  then  is 
the  starting  point,  the  foundation,  and  the  nature 
of  the  Church.  We  shall  see  as  we  proceed  how 
glorious  is  this  Bride  of  Christ.  We  can  say  of 
this  infant  Church  in  the  words  of  LongfeUow: 

0  Child!     0  new-born  denizen 

Of  life's  great  city!     On  thy  head 

The  glory  of  the  morn  is  shed 

Like  a  celestial  benison! 

Here  at  the  portal  thou  dost  stand. 

And  with  thy  little  hand 

Thou  openest  the  mysterious  gate 

Into  the  future's  undiscovered  land. 


182      MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

MiNISTKY   OF    THE    ChURCH 

We  have  little  space  to  discuss  tlie  Ministry, 
only  to  stop  long  enough  to  say,  that,  like  the 
Church  itself,  the  Ministry  is  begotten  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Who  are  the  Clergy,  and  how  are 
they  made,  and  are  they  a  self -perpetuating  body 
within  the  Church!  are  questions  that  are  all  an- 
swered in  the  book  of  Acts.  The  Clergy  are  called 
and  ordained  of  God,  and  the  various  local 
churches  recognize  the  call  and  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  those  lives,  and  approve  their  separa- 
tion to  service. 

Hands  are  laid  on  these  men  in  recognition  of 
the  call  of  the  Spirit.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  Sover- 
eign in  this  business,  and  the  Church  and  Clergy 
thus  recognize  His  sovereignty.  He  calls  and 
ordains  whom  He  wills.  The  Church,  co-oper- 
ating with  Him,  or  better,  in  grateful  recognition 
of  His  own  work,  sets  apart  certain  men  to  teach 
and  preach,  and  to  serve  in  lesser  capacities. 

The  Only  Apostolic  Succession 

How  clear  a  revelation  of  this  we  have  in  the 
first  Church  at  Pentecost.  An  Apostle  was  to  be 
chosen;  but  how  was  it  done?  It  was  not  done 
by  the  Apostles  holding  themselves  aloof  from 
the  Church  and  electing  him;  but  by  both  the 
Apostles  and  the  Church  co-operating  together 
in  prayer  and  deliberation,  under  the  guidance  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  They  evidently  believed  in  con- 
gregational church  government,  for  the  one  hun- 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    183 

dred  and  twenty  disciples  voted  on  the  choice  of 
a  successor  to  Judas  in  the  Apostolic  office,  the 
highest  office  in  Christ's  Church.  Even  the 
Apostles  were  perpetuated  by  the  Holj^  Spirit, 
working  through  the  Church,  and  not  by  the 
Apostles  themselves.  The  Ministry  of  the 
Church  therefore  is  not  a  self -perpetuating  body. 
Their  act  of  ordaining  is  simply  the  outward 
recognition  of  what  the  Holy  Spirit  has  already 
done  in  the  God-called  person,  and  as  expressed 
by  or  through  the  Spirit-baptized  Body  of  be- 
lievers— or  true  Church  of  Christ.  Note  carefully 
the  words  used  in  Acts  1:23-26  to  describe  the 
government  of  the  Church,  and  method  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  selecting  an  Apostle. 

Electing  an  Apostle 
First,  they  had  a  prayer  service, 

And  they  prayed,  and  said,  Thou,  Lord,  which  knowest  the 
hearts  of  all  men,  Show  whether  of  these  two  thou  hast 
chosen,  That  he  may  take  part  of  this  ministiy  and  apostle- 
ship,  from  which  Judas  by  transgression  fell,  .  .  .  And 
they  [the  entire  body  of  the  disciples]  gave  forth  their  lots 
[or  expressed  their  choice  by  vote] ;  and  the  lot  fell  upon 
Matthias,  and  he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven  Apostles. 

No  Self-Peepetuating  Ministey 

There  is  no  self-perpefuating  Apostolic  succes- 
sion of  Ministry  in  the  Church.  The  true  IVIin- 
istry  is  a  succession  of  the  ever  present  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  who  imparts  spiritual  gifts  to 


184     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

the  members  of  Christ's  Mystical  Body.  Here  is 
where  we  find  the  only  trne  succession,  namely: 
the  regenerated  Church,  made  possible  by  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  always  creating 
souls  anew  in  Jesus  Christ.  "We  are  justified 
therefore  in  calling  this  the  glorious  and  never- 
ceasing  Apostolic  succession  of  the  new  life  in 
the  Church  or  Body  of  Christ.  This  succession 
cannot  be  simply  ecclesiastical;  it  is  always 
spiritual.  The  ecclesiastical  is  a  part  of  the  fruit 
of  this  spiritual  succession. 

And  this  succession  of  regenerated  souls  is  as 
real  in  the  laity  as  it  is  in  the  Clergy.  Without 
this  new  life  neither  laity  nor  Clergy  could  pos- 
sibly be  members  of  Christ's  Mystical  Body  or 
His  Church. 

From  this  new  life  in  Christ  which  makes  upi 
His  Church  there  springs  forth  spontaneously,  as 
it  were,  the  God-called  men  to  teach  and  preach 
the  Gospel.  Upon  one  here  and  another  there 
God  lays  His  hand. 

We  have  striking  illustrations  of  the  above  in 
the  Word  of  God,  but  for  our  present  purpose  we 
shall  refer  to  only  one,  which  is  found  in 
Acts  13 :2. 

As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord  and  fasted  and  prayed,  the 
Holy  Ghost  said,  seporrate  unto  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for 
the  work  whereunto  I  have  called  them. 

The  Church  was  the  spiritual  organism  through 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  revealed  His  will  for  Bar- 
nabas and  Saul. 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    185 

The  Church  Identified 

It  is  clear  that  we  have  identified  the  true 
Christian  Church,  its  Ministry  and  government. 
The  Pastors,  as  we  have  them  to-day,  or  the 
Elders,  or  Bishops  (for  these  all  have  the  same 
significance  in  the  Greek  from  which  they  are 
derived),  simply  mean  the  overseers,  the  shep- 
herds, the  leaders  of  the  local  churches  of  Jesus 
Christ;  and  the  Teachers  and  Evangelists — all 
these  are  the  servants  of  Christ  in  the  churches, 
and  whose  work  it  is,  in  part,  to  ordain  those 
whom  the  Holy  Spirit  has  already  called  and  or- 
dained to  preach  the  Gospel  as  manifest  by  their 
spiritual  gifts. 

The  Pope  of  Later  Origin 

It  should  be  said  that  there  was  no  Pope  in 
the  early  Church.  Later  the  Bishop,  or  Elder,  or 
Pastor,  in  some  cases,  as  the  churches  multiplied 
in  many  parts  of  the  Empire,  were  separated 
from  their  work  as  the  shepherds  of  local  flocks, 
and  were  given  by  their  brethren  the  Clergy, 
doubtless  after  consultation  with  the  local 
churches,  the  general  oversight  of  all  the 
churches  in  a  district  or  province,  which  geo- 
graphical section  was,  later  in  the  centuries, 
called  a  diocese.  The  Pope  came  into  existence 
in  the  fourth  century,  and  serves  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  danger  of  the  Bishop  of  one  diocese 
arrogating  to  himself  special  right  because  of  the 
prominence  of  the  Metropolitan  Bishopric,  and 


186     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

thus  assuming  an  unscriptural  lordship  over 
God's  heritage,  in  violation  of  the  Divine  Plan 
of  government  for  the  Church.  God  has  no  room 
for  an  ecclesiastical  autocracy  in  His  Church  for 
all  are  brethren.  Christ  is  the  only  Pope.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  His  only  Vice-gerent  on  earth.  He 
said: 

But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi;  for  one  is  your  Master,  even 
Christ;  and  all  ye  ai'e  brethren.  And  call  no  man  your 
father  .  .  .  for  one  is  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
Neither  be  ye  called  Masters:  for  one  is  your  Master,  even 
Christ.  But  he  that  is  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your 
servant.     (Matt.  23:8-11.) 

Where  then  is  there  any  authority  for  a  Pope, 
or  for  calling  men  *^Holy  Father  T'  etc.  Not  in 
God's  Word.  This  is  mentioned  here  because  it 
is  vital,  and  shows  the  sad  departure  in  history 
from  the  simple  spiritual  brotherhood  of  the 
early  Church.  So  far  has  the  Roman  Catholic 
branch  of  the  Church  departed  in  their  doctrine 
and  practice  of  the  so-called  Apostolic  succession, 
that  they  do  not  even  view  their  own  people  as 
members  of  the  Church.  They  are  only  **The 
Faithful.''  To  them  (the  ecclesiastical  side)  it 
is  the  hierarchy  only  that  constitute  the  Church, 
from  Pope  down  to  parish  priest.  And,  of 
course,  all  other  branches  of  the  Church  of  Jesus, 
as  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist,  Episcopa- 
lian, etc.,  are  only  '* sects."  This  unchristian  po- 
sition is  a  serious  and  lamentable  error,  and  eon- 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    187 

stitutes  one  of  the  unpassable  barriers  to  any- 
outward  organic  unity  among  these  churches  of 
Christ,  as  it  creates  one  of  our  most  serious  polit- 
ical problems. 

But  we  have  seen  that  the  Ministry  is  created 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  (Acts  20:28)  and  that  this  true 
and  only  Apostolic  succession  has  been  identified 
as  the  entire  regenerated  Body  of  Christ — the 
true  Church  in  every  age.  No  truth  is  worthy  of 
more  careful  study  to-day  than  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  forming  Christ's  Church.  Heresy 
can  lay  its  chilly  hand  of  death  upon  Christ's 
Bride  only  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  grieved, 
ignored,  or  forgotten.  May  we  not  only  say:  **I 
believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,''  but  may  we  wholly 
yield  to  Him,  and  in  the  words  of  Charles  Wesley 
pray : 

Leader  of  faithful  souls  and  guide 
Of  all  who  travel  to  the  sky, 
Come  and  with  us,  e'en  us  abide, 
Who  would  on  Thee  alone  rely; 
On  Thee  alone  our  spirits  stay, 
While  held  in  life's  uneven  way. 


So  far  as  the  Church  has  any  government — and 
it  has  a  real  government — ^it  was  the  government 
of  the  whole  Church,  or  as  they  expanded,  of  the 
various  churches  in  co-operation  with  their  Pas- 
tors or  leaders,  and  all  under  the  leadership  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  great  formal  worship  and 
organization,  as  we  see  -.t  develop  later,  and  as 


188     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

we  see  it  to-day  in  certain  churches,  notably  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  and  Roman  Catholic 
Churches,  were  the  result  of  the  growth  of  cen- 
turies, and  is  foreign  to  Apostolic  Christianity. 
If  there  had  been  any  form  of  government  that 
took  precedence  over  all  others,  in  this  early 
Church,  it  was  the  blending  of  congregational  and 
presbyterian  and  episcopal — primarily  govern- 
ment by  the  entire  body  of  the  Church,  directed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Wherever  we  have  regenerated  souls  who  are 
led  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  teaching  the  true  doc- 
trines of  Christ,  observing  His  ordinances,  and 
thus  bound  together  in  a  fellowship  for  the  pur- 
pose of  furthering  His  cause,  there  we  find  the 
true  Apostolic  Church,  the  Church  whose  con- 
tinuous creation  and  extension  do  not  depend 
upon  a  line  of  ecclesiastical  descent,  like  the  per- 
petuation of  a  royal  family.  Christ's  Church  is 
His  people  in  fellowship  and  work  with  Him.  The 
ecclesiastical  organization  which  developed  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  Branch,  in  centuries  subse- 
quent to  the  Apostles'  time,  cannot  illustrate  it. 
By  this,  however,  we  do  not  mean  to  say  that 
God  has  not  and  could  not  use  this  organization, 
provided  it  be  a  part  of  His  regenerated  Church, 
and  teaches  Christ's  doctrines,  and  doe^  its  work 
in  the  spirit  of  Christian  brotherhood  and  love. 
But  this  organization  is  not  in  itself  the  Church 
of  Christ,  apart  from  the  other  members  of 
Christ's  body,  for  the  Church  is  one,  and  is  a 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    189 

spiritual  regenerated  organism.  Its  descent  and 
growth  from  Jesus  down  to  this  day  has  never 
been  broken.  The  secret  of  its  continuance  is  its 
own  inherent  life.  This  true  Church  has  always 
been  present  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Branch,  the 
Greek  Branch,  and  later  in  the  Protestant 
Branches  which  arose,  or  came  into  being  because 
of  a  desire  for  a  Church  more  holy,  more  pure, 
more  brotherly,  more  free — separate  from  any 
alliance  with  the  State  or  world.  And  there  were 
times  and  places  when  and  where  this  true 
Church  has  existed  outside  of  all  these  great 
Branches.  God's  work  is  a  work  of  life,  and  is 
not  a  matter  of  mere  forms  and  organizations, 
for,  as  stated,  these  are  only  incident  to  His 
Church.  Doubtless  they  are  necessary  somewhat 
as  the  scaffold  is  necessary  to  the  erection  of  the 
structure. 

The  Ministry  of  Divine  Appointment 

It  should  not  be  inferred  or  believed  from  any- 
thing that  has  been  stated  regarding  the  Ministry 
in  Christ's  Church  that  these  holy  God-called  and 
God-ordained  men  are  on  an  equality  with  all 
other  members  of  Christ's  holy  Church.  They 
occupy  the  same  position  in  grace,  but  not  in 
service.  Like  the  laity  they  both  are  sinners 
saved  by  grace;  but  to  these  God-ordained  men, 
to  teach  and  preach  and  labor  as  the  local  lead- 
ers of  the  various  churches,  have  been  given  a 
unique  and  special  authority  in  the  affairs  of  the 


190     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Church.  It  is  God's  plan  that  through  these  men 
the  Holy  Spirit  shall  guide  into  the  knowledge 
of  the  Truth,  and  into  the  aggressive  forward 
movements  of  God  in  the  world.  And  the  local 
churches  should  everywhere  recognize  this  fact, 
and  love,  honor  and  hold  in  highest  esteem  those 
whom  God  appointed  to  minister  to  them  the 
riches  of  Christ.  If  it  be  objected  that  this  view 
of  the  Clergy  creates  a  *^ class  of  rulers'*  in  the 
Church,  our  only  answer  is  that  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  alive  with  the  fact  that  God  Himself  is 
responsible  for  the  special  creation  of  this 
*^ class,''  if  we  wish  to  so  designate  the  Ministers 
of  our  Lord.  God  has  set  these  men  over  the 
churches,  separated  them  from  other  pursuits, 
and  ordained  them  by  His  own  mighty  Spirit  to 
preach  the  Gospel  and  direct  under  the  Chief 
Shepherd  in  the  affairs  of  His  Church.  Of 
course,  all  this  is  to  be  done  under  the  leadership 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  He^  manifests  Himself  in 
the  churches,  and  as  He  gives  special  guidance 
to  the  Ministers  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  writer  has  never  seen  God's  cause  prosper 
in  the  local  churches  when  the  authority  of  the 
Ministry  was  ignored  or  opposed  in  spiritual 
matters;  but  he  has  seen  glorious  revivals  of  re- 
ligion break  forth  when  the  church  recognized 
this  spiritual  leadership  and  co-operated  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  the  Pastor  of  the  flock.  This 
great  truth  needs  fresh  emphasis  in  these  times 
when  the   spirit   of   anarchy   is   abroad   in   the 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    191 

world,  and  at  times  manifests  itself  even  in  the 
churches  of  God.  One  of  the  dangers  which  be- 
sets Protestantism  is  that  we  forget  this,  and  by 
our  extreme  individualism  destroy  the  very 
cause  we  profess  to  serve.  There  must  be  lead- 
ers in  the  churches  of  Christ,  and  through  these, 
as  also  through  the  sanctified  and  Spirit-filled 
Body  of  believers  the  Holy  Spirit  does  His  work. 
If  this  truth  had  not  been  ignored  many  of  the 
little  bands  of  believers  we  see  to-day,  isolating 
themselves  from  the  great  Branches  of  Christ's 
universal  Church,  would  never  have  come  into 
existence  to  add  further  schism  to  the  Body  of 
Christ. 

The  Church  in  Service 

The  new  life  was  given  to  the  Church  for 
various  purposes,  but  especially  to  be  lived  out 
before  men.  The  follower  of  Christ  is  a  citizen 
of  heaven,  and  it  is  his  business  to  reveal  to  men 
the  dignity  and  worth  of  his  new  citizenship. 
(Eph.  2:19.)  His  Lord  is  in  heaven  and  he  must 
truly  represent  Him.  (Col.  4:1.)  When  the 
world  sees  a  Christian  it  must  get  a  little  glimpse 
of  heaven.  (Eph.  3:15;  I  Cor.  3:17;  Eph.  1:4, 
5:27;  I  Pet.  1:15,  16:3-11.)  The  Holy  Spirit  can 
make  all  this  gloriously  possible.  He  has  great 
and  numerous  gifts  and  graces  of  the  new  life 
to  bestow  upon  the  followers  of  Christ,  as  is  seen 
in  the  12th,  13th  and  14th  chapters  of  first  Co- 
rinthians.   The  Holy  Spirit  Himself  is  first  to  be 


192     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

received  by  faitli,  as  the  Eepresentative  of  Jesus, 
on  the  authority  of  God's  Word,  after  which 
He  imparts  the  riches  of  Christ.  The  Christian 
must  wholly  yield  to  Him,  and  be  filled  with  the 
Spirit  of  God.  (Eph.  5:18.)  The  New  Testament 
is  alive  with  this  truth.  The  Apostle  speaks 
plainly  of  this  surrender,  and  then  of  the  com- 
radeship with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  this  way:  **For 
it  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Spirit  and  to  us." 
(Acts  15:28.)  Thus  the  Church  was  called  to  a 
high  and  holy  service  and  fellowship. 

Before  the  disciples,  lay  an  Empire  of  100,000- 
000  souls,  sunken  in  iniquity  and  social  corrup- 
tion. This  vile  state  of  society  must  be  changed. 
Idolatry  was  universal  and  must  be  destroyed. 
These  disciples  faced  their  task  like  martyrs  as 
they  were. 

The  temple  of  Aphrodite  at  Corinth  had  a  thousand 
women  attached  to  it  who  were  giving  themselves  to  a  life 
of  shame  as  part  of  the  service  of  the  goddess. 

Christianity  (not  simply  religion),  the  real 
militant  type  of  that  day,  had  the  task  of  winning 
these,  and  many  others  like  them,  for  Christ,  of 
so  changing  character  that,  as  the  Apostle  said, 
it  would  be  a  shame  now  to  even  speak  of  these 
things  (Eph.  5:12),  much  less  to  do  them. 

Making  Jesus  Real 

But  what  was  the  chief  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  Church?    It  was  to  make  Jesus  real.  Jesus 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    193 

is  the  only  Saviour  and  must  ever  be  seen  as 
such.  (Acts  4:12.)  It  is  impossible  for  men  to 
understand  and  love  Him,  only  as  they  are 
taught  by  the  Spirit.  (Isa.  54:13.)  No  Modern- 
ism, no  New  Theology  can  destroy  Christianity 
so  long  as  men  and  women  yield  themselves 
wholly  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  was  what  Jesus 
meant  when  He  said  of  His  Successor: 

But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto 
you  from  the  Father,  even  the  spirit  of  truth,  which  pro- 
ceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  testify  of  me.  (John 
15:26.)  Howbeit  when  he  the  Spirit  of  Truth  is  come,  he 
will  guide  you  into  all  truth;  for  he  shall  not  speak  of 
himself  .  .  .  and  he  will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall 
glorify  me;  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine  and  shall  show  it 
unto  you.     (John  16:13-14.) 

It  would  appear  that  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  follower  of  Jesus  who  is  to  be  the  preacher, 
the  witness  for  Christ,  for  Jesus  said:  **And 
when  he  is  come,  he  will  reprove  the  world  of  sin, 
and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment.'*  (John 
16:8.)     What  a  great  Companion! 

Here  is  a  truth  that  we  are  not  emphasizing  as 
we  should:  the  fellowship  and  leadership  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  the  Church.  It  is  only  the  Holy 
Spirit  who  can  write  a  biography  of  Jesus  and 
make  Him  known.  Were  it  not  for  His  Presence 
our  Lord  would  long  ago  have  dropped  out  of 
the  thought  of  men  as  a  great  moral  and  spiritual 
power  in  the  world.    Men  would  have  forgotten 


194     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Jesus  as  they  forget  their  beloved  dead.  They 
would  think  of  Him  only  as  they  think  of  Mo- 
hammed, Buddha,  etc.,  as  a  saint  and  great 
teacher  and  leader,  but  they  could  not  love  Him  as 
Saviour  and  Lord.  It  takes  God  to  interpret 
God  to  men.  The  Apostle  Paul  gave  a  remark- 
ably clear  commentary  on  this  fact  when  he  said: 

For  what  man  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit 
of  man  which  is  in  him?  even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth 
no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God.  Now  we  have  received,  not 
the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the  spirit  which  is  of  God;  that 
we  might  know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  us  of  God. 
(I  Cor.  2:10-12.) 

Why  should  not  this  be  so,  for  the  Christian  is 
the  temple  of  the  Divine  Spirit.    (I  Cor.  6:19.) 

Applied  Christianity 

To  life  in  all  its  perplexing  problems  the  mes- 
sage of  Christ  must  be  applied,  to  the  so-called 
social,  political,  and  religious  life.  In  fact  there 
were  no  distinctions  of  this  sort  made  by  the 
Apostles.  To  them  all  life  was  sacred ;  there  was 
nothing  secular. 

The  message  must  be  applied  to  the  family  life. 
Christianity  exalted  womanhood,  and  revealed 
the  sanctity  of  the  marriage  relation.  It  taught 
parents  to  love  their  children  and  children  to  love 
their  parents,  and  servants  and  masters  to  be 
true  to  each  other.  Here  as  elsewhere  the  law  of 
love  must  be  supreme.    Christians  must  love  each 


MODERNISM  AND  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH    195 

other.  The  measure  of  love  for  the  brethren  is 
the  measure  of  Christ's  love  for  us.  (I  John 
3:16.)  They  are  to  have  Christians  adjudicate 
their  differences,  and  not  to  go  to  law  in  Courts 
where  Christians  do  not  preside  as  Judges.  (I 
Cor.  6:1-4.)  On  the  Day  of  Pentecost  when  the 
Holy  Ghost  implanted  in  their  hearts  the 
Saviour's  love,  so  rich  and  holy  and  pure  was 
their  love  for  their  brethren  that  they  sold  their 
properties  and  laid  the  money  at  the  Apostles' 
feet,  to  be  distributed  to  their  less  favored 
brethren.  Their  possessions  became  a  common 
fund  in  which  all  shared  equally  or  as  each  had 
need.  The  Church  is  now  at  work  in  living,  holy 
service,  and  the  new  life  is  manifesting  itself  to 
men.  Here  w^as  a  social  revolution  without  bullet 
or  bayonet,  and  in  this  holy,  helpful  life  we  find 
the  solution  of  all  human  problems. 

It  is  worthy  of  special  note  that  it  is  in  con- 
nection with  this  lofty  service  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  speaks  through  Luke  and  says:  ^^And  they 
continued  steadfastly  in  the  Apostles  doctrine'' 
(Acts  2:42),  as  much  as  to  say  that  this  gene- 
rosity must  have  been  taught  and  enjoined  and 
later  approved  by  the  Apostles.  There  was  no 
need  of  a  magnetic  speaker  or  a  professional 
beggar  to  draw  out  their  gifts.  Because  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  Sovereign  in  the  Church,  their  gene- 
rosity flowed  out  of  others  in  need.  (II  Cor. 
2:21.)  These  disciples  were  putting  into  prac- 
tice the  new  commandment  of  Jesus  that  they 


196     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

love  one  another.  (Luke  6:27,  32,  35;  Eom. 
13:8;  GaL  5:14;  I  Thess.  4:9;  I  Pet.  1:22;  I  John 
3:11,  4:7,  11.)  They  were  now  learning  of  ^*the 
love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knowledge ' '  (Eph. 
3:19),  the  love  that  gave  Jesus  to  die. 

Thus  we  have  taken  a  glance  at  the  beginning  of 
that  mighty  institution,  the  Christian  Church,  the 
secret-  of  which  is  God  Himself  who  has  come  to 
redeem  men  and  dwell  in  them,  but  which  the 
New  Theology  of  Modernism  would  interpret  as 
a  product  of  evolution,  and  not  of  a  special  reve- 
lation and  redemption. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE 

We  have  seen  that  the  Church  with  its  holy 
worship  does  not  depend  upon  a  form,  that  it  is 
a  spiritual  brotherhood  or  organism  we  are  deal- 
ing with,  and  not  a  mere  formal  organization. 
Any  form  of  worship,  or  even  organization,  is 
only  incident  to  the  Church  itself.  In  this  holy 
mystical  body  of  Christ,  in  this  Fellowship  of  the 
**  Apostles  and  Martyrs, ''  in  this  Communion 
**with  God,  of  the  sanctified,''  in  this  ** Temple 
of  God's  true  spiritual  worship,"  in  this  ^* Par- 
ticipation of  His  promised  presence,"  in  this 
*^ Flock  that  He  feeds,"  this  **Fold  of  His  watch- 
ful care"  we  find  a  unity  of  purpose,  message, 
doctrine  and  life.  We  have  seen  that  it  was  a 
fellowship  around  Christ  and  His  doctrines, 
under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  Message  Its  Unity 

On  all  the  great  truths  of  Christianity  we  find 
that  the  Apostles  were  a  unit.  True,  there  were 
some  minor  differences  as  to  non-essentials,  and 
which  were  quickly  righted,  as  circumcision,  holy- 

197 


198     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

days,  eating  of  meats,  etc.  It  was  Christ's  doc- 
trine and,  as  to  all  essential  truth,  there  was  no 
conflict,  no  difference  of  opinion,  for  differences 
regarding  Christ,  His  work  and  doctrines,  could 
not  exist  in  such  an  atmosphere.  Had  one  of 
their  number  denied  any  Christian  fundamental 
truth  as,  for  example,  the  atonement  for  sin,  con- 
fession of  sin,  forgiveness  of  sin,  sanctification  or 
holiness  of  life,  the  resurrection,  the  presence 
and  leadership  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Lordship 
of  Jesus,  and  His  second  coming,  such  an  one 
would  quickly. be  separated  from  them. 

Discipline  on  Basis  of  Doctrine 

John  was  the  Apostle  of  love,  yet  it  is  he  who 
voices  the  strictest  discipline  of  the  early  Church, 
as  to  the  matter  of  teaching  sound  doctrine.  He 
says:  *^For  many  deceivers  are  entered  into  the 
world  who  confess  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come 
in  the  flesh.  This  is  a  deceiver  and  an  anti- 
christ. Look  to  yourselves  that  we  lose  not  those 
things  which  we  have  wrought,  but  that  we  re- 
ceive a  full  reward.  Whosoever  transgresseth 
and  abideth  not  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  hath 
not  God.  He  that  abideth  in  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  he  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  If 
there  come  any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doc- 
trine, receive  him  not  into  your  house,  neither 
bid  him  God  speed.  For  he  that  biddeth  him  God 
speed  is  partaker  of  his  evil  deeds.  (II 
John  7:1.) 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    199 

There  is  no  mistaking  this  discipline.  Fellow- 
ship with  a  Unitarian,  or  with  those  who  deny  the 
Incarnation,  is  forbidden.  They  are  forbidden 
to  visit  him  in  his  home,  preach  in  his  pulpit, 
wish  him  God's  blessing,  nor  permit  him  to  even 
enter  their  homes,  lest,  as  the  Apostle  of  love 
says,  they  become  sharers  in  his  guilt,  or  **evil 
deeds."  We  find  that  the  Apostle  Paul  endorsed 
the  position  of  John  in  this  matter,  when  he  said : 
**But  though  we  or  an  angel  of  heaven  preach 
any  other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we 
have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed.'* 
(Gal.  1:9.)  There  was  no  ** pussy-footing''  with 
false  teachers  in  the  early  Church.  Would  to 
God  we  had  to-day  their  measure  of  love,  their 
courage,  and  loyalty  to  Jesus  Christ. 

From  this  we  see  how  the  Apostles  viewed  the 
danger  of  doing  aught  that  would  in  any  way 
compromise  the  position  of  the  Church  as  to  the 
true  doctrine  of  Christ.  Here  also  the  Holy 
Spirit  must  be  sovereign.  We  have  seen  that  the 
Spirit's  work  is  to  reveal,  interpret,  magnify 
and  glorify  Jesus  in  the  Church,  and  any  recog- 
nition of  false  teachers  **Who  deny  that  Jesus  is 
come  in  the  flesh,"  or  who  deny  the  Incarnation, 
or  support  sentimentally  or  in  any  way  any  false 
teacher  who  denies  the  great  doctrines  of  Christ, 
or  any  one  of  these  doctrines,  is  strictly  for- 
bidden, for  such  an  one  is  at  war  with  the  Holy 
Spirit. 


200     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Every  Doctrine  Sacred 

It  is  not  too  mucli  to  say  that  the  Apostles 
viewed  a  denial  of  one  doctrine  of  Christ  as  a 
denial  of  all.  Suppose,  for  example,  one  of  them 
had  affirmed  that  Jesus,  in  His  sacrificial  death, 
had  not  made  full  provision  for  the  putting  away 
of  sin,  that  is,  for  its  forgiveness,  that  would  be 
thought  the  same  as  a  denial  of  the  Resurrection 
or  the  Second  Coming,  or  a  repudiation  of  all  the 
doctrines  of  Christ.  Each  doctrine  was  an  inte- 
gral part  of  all  the  others,  related  to  them  in  one 
complete  Revelation  that  cannot  be  broken.  To 
cut  one  doctrine  out  would  be  like  pulling  one 
finger  out  of  the  hand,  the  hand  henceforth  would 
be  marred  and  imperfect. 

Christ  and  His  Doctrines  One 

Further,  in  a  very  important  sense,  the  doc- 
trines stood  for  Christ  and  must  stand  or  fall 
with  Christ.  For  instance,  could  the  Pentecostal 
revival  have  been  possible,  had  Peter  stood  up 
and  denied  the  Atonement  through  the  blood  of 
Christ,  or  the  Resurrection,  or  His  exaltation  in 
glory,  or  His  coming  again?  No,  there  never 
could  have  been  a  baptism  of  the  Spirit  had 
Peter  slighted,  or  slurred,  or  ignored,  or  denied 
these  truths.  The  doctrines  of  Christ,  as  to  these 
matters,  and  the  prophecies  concerning  the  same, 
constituted,  so  far  as  the  record  in  Acts  tells  us, 
the  substance  of  this  great  sermon.  He  is  be- 
nighted   indeed    who    talks    against    doctrinal 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    201 

preaching,  as  if  there  were  a  Gospel  of  Christ 
made  up  of  other  than  doctrine. 

Passed  Christ's  Doctrine  On 

The  Apostles  taught  the  Christian  doctrine  as 
they  received  it  from  Christ,  and  passed  it  on  in 
their  writings  and  oral  ministries  to  others,  and 
thus  to  succeeding  centuries.  The  Church  was 
built  around  the  following: 

1.  ** Jesus  Christ  has  come  in  the  flesh'' — or 
the  Incarnation. 

2.  ^*  Jesus  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according 
to  the  Scripture,"  or  the  Atonement. 

3.  The  Resurrection  is  proof  of  His  Lordship 
and  Deity.  **For  to  this  end  Christ  both  died 
and  rose  that  He  might  be  the  Lord  of  the  dead 
and  the  living." 

4.  The  regenerating  and  sanctifying  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

5.  The  mediatorial  work  of  Jesus  as  our  High 
Priest  and  Intercessor  before  the  Throne  of 
God. 

6.  The  Resurrection  of  all  men  to  judgment 

7.  The  Second  Coming  of  Christ. 

8.  World-Avide  evangelization. 

9.  The  final  coming  and  triumph  of  the  King- 
dom of  God. 

Doctrines  Their  Unity  and  Mission 
The  world  mission  of  the  Church  is  the  result 


202     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

of  a  great  cause,  and  Jesus  Christ  as  a  living 
Fact  is  that  Cause.  Here  we  find  in  this  early- 
Church  the  harmony  and  unity  we  need  to-day. 
We  are  deeply  in  need  of  this  same  holy  fellow- 
ship, and  of  this  love  for  the  Church  and  the 
Truth,  for  all  the  Truth,  and  the  zeal  to 
teach  it. 

When  the  Apostle  Paul  was  about  to  leave 
Ephesus  he  indulged  in  a  personal  commenda- 
tion of  his  ministry  in  these  words:  ** Wherefore, 
I  take  you  to  record  this  day  that  I  am  pure 
from  the  blood  of  all  men,  for  I  have  not  shunned 
to  declare  unto  you  all  the  counsel  of  God." 
Then  he  adds  this  wise  warning  to  the  Elders  or 
the  local  Pastors:  ^'Take  heed  therefore  unto 
yourselves  and  to  the  flocJc  over  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the 
Church  of  God  which  he  hath  purchased  with  his 
own  blood/'  (Acts  20:26-28.)  This  Apostle  was 
no  compromiser,  no  trimmer,  no  time-server.  He 
had  no  apology  for  any  one  of  Christ 's  great  doc- 
trines. What  an  inscription  for  a  preacher's 
tombstone:  **He  preached  the  whole  counsel  of 
God.'' 

A  New  Testament  Illustration 

Before  concluding  this  message  an  illustration 
will  be  given  as  to  how  the  Christian  doctrines 
worked  in  the  ancient  center  of  the  world's  cul- 
ture— ^Athens.  The  Apostle  Paul  was  the 
preacher.    He  was  laboring  at  Mars  Hill.    Hia 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    203 

meeting  place  was  the  Court  room,  his  audience 
was  made  up  of  the  scholars  of  Athens.  What 
did  this  Apostle  preach?  After  a  tactful  intro- 
duction on  Creation  and  God^s  good  Providence 
for  all  men,  he  plunged  into  his  real  message 
which  was  about  Jesus,  the  Resurrection  and  the 
Judgment.  It  was  a  new,  strange  and  startling 
message,  but  not  much  more  startling  were  it 
preached  to-day  in  many  of  our  pulpits.  The 
philosophers,  the  rationalists,  the  Modernists, 
the  New  Theology  advocates  of  that  day  were 
present.  They  listened  courteously  to  the 
Apostle  until  he  got  into  a  discussion  of  the 
Resurrection  and  God's  judgment  for  man's  sin. 
Then  the  scholars  and  critics  became  restless, 
waxed  hot  at  this  sensational  fellow,  created  an 
uproar,  and  broke  up  the  meeting.  Exit  Paul! 
What  a  tribute  to  the  great  Apostle.  And  what 
a  tribute  it  is  to  a  preacher  in  any  day  to  create 
a  similar  uproar  in  his  congregation  where  the 
true  Christian  doctrines  have  not  been  heard. 
There  is  always  something  sensational  in  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus,  something  arousing,  awakening, 
striking,  commanding.  The  Gospel  of  Christ  is 
a  living  and  not  a  dead  thing.  There  is  power  in 
it — God's  power. 

The  Result  of  Doctrinal  Preaching 

But  what  was  the  result  of  this  sermon?  The 
Apostle  *^was  forced  to  leave  the  Court."  Some 
of  the  brethren  would  be  forced  to  quit  their 


204     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

pulpits  to-day  if  they  thundered  out  the  whole 
Gospel,  or  else  they  would  witness  the  mightiest 
religious  revival  of  their  ministry.  Try  it, 
brother.  Preach  **the  whole  counsel  of  God.** 
Imitate  the  old-time  preachers  of  the  Apostolic 
days.  Preach  the  old  doctrines,  and  you  will  soon 
experience  a  time  of  refreshing.  **True  preach- 
ing will  inevitably  produce  a  revival  or  a  riot.** 
It  was  so  with  the  Apostle  Paul.  And  what 
then!  There  were,  however,  some  who  joined 
the  preacher.  No  true  minister  will  lack  a  fol- 
lowing. These  who  followed  became  believers  in 
Christ.  **  Among  them  were  Dionysius,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Court  (possibly  a  lawyer  or  a  judge), 
a  woman  named  Demaris,  and  several  others.** 
A  respectable  ingathering  from  the  preaching  of 
one  sermon  on  the  great  old  doctrines  of  Christ, 
more  real  conversions  than  the  Modernists  have 
made  in  a  generation  of  preaching  of  moral  plati- 
tudes over  the  divinity  of  human  nature,  soci- 
ology, social  redemption,  and  the  religious  base  in 
the  modern  sinner.  Dionysius,  we  are  told  by 
Eusebius,  *' became  the  first  Bishop  (Pastor)  of 
Athens  and  suffered  martyrdom.**  This  sermon 
on  the  old  doctrines  produced  a  church,  a  diocese 
and  a  Bishop.  Talk  about  results!  0,  that  we 
could  read  aright  the  history  of  Christ's  Church! 
The  conversion  of  the  Roman  Empire  gives  elo- 
quent testimony!  A  whole  nation  burned  their 
idols   and  fell   captive   at  the   pierced  feet   of 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    205 

Christ,  to  place  all  the  laurels  of  praise  upon  His 
thorn-pierced  brow. 

The  New  Gospel  of  Modernism 

But  we  have  on  our  hands  to-day  a  new  gospel 
of  Modernism,  called,  the  New  Theology.  **How 
many  sermons  have  you  heard  in  your  church 
during  the  last  twelve  months  on  salvation 
through  the  work  of  Christ  on  the  Cross  T'  was 
the  query  asked  of  a  thoughtful  member  of 
a  large  church.  ^^AVhen  our  pastor  candidated 
he  preached  on  the  Atonement,  for  he  knew  that 
we  are  an  orthodox  church,  but  for  years  he  has 
never  touched  on  our  Lord's  death.''  **Is  he 
orthodox?"  **0,  yes,  he  is  orthodox."  ^*How 
often  has  he  preached  on.  How  to  get  saved?'* 
**He  never  touches  on  that  matter."  ^'Well,  how 
about  the  resurrection?"  ^^He  gives  a  sermon- 
ette  on  that  on  Easter  in  order  to  be  in  fashion. ' ' 
**I  suppose  you  get  some  comforting  messages 
on  the  Coming  of  Jesus?"  **It  is  twenty  years 
since  we  heard  a  sermon  on  that  precious  truth. 
Our  pastors  seem  to  be  afraid  of  it;  but  my 
heart  longs  to  hear  it;  I  find  much  about  it  in 
my  Bible,  and  I  believe  it." 

The  above  is  a  true  history  of  many  a  pulpit. 
Modernism  has  silenced  many  of  the  pulpits, 
locked  the  lips  of  the  preachers,  and  blinded  them 
to  the  message  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

A  Wise  Layman 

On  Staten  Island  a  noble  layman  went  one. 


206     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

Sunday  morning  to  hear  his  pastor,  and  to  his 
surprise  the  wise  man  in  the  pulpit  tried  to  ex- 
plain why  he  did  not  believe  such  and  such  a 
book  in  the  Bible.  Upon  hearing  the  attack  on 
God's  Word,  this  layman  with  his  family  arose 
and  left  the  building.  His  pastor  was  concerned 
and  called  on  him  and  said,  **I  saw  you  leave.  I 
was  fearful  some  one  was  ill.''  **No  one  was  ill, 
but  I  made  up  my  mind  long  ago  that  I  would 
never  sit  and  listen  to  any  man  deny  the  Word 
of  God.    I  shall  never  hear  you  preach  again. ' ' 

This  noble  layman  was  courteous  regarding 
the  matter.  We  wonder  whether  the  Apostles 
would  not  have  protested  in  even  a  more  vigor- 
ous fashion  had  they  been  there.  It  is  true  that 
God  expects  His  people  to  rebuke  openly  these 
teachers  who  deny  His  Truth.  Surely,  the  least 
we  can  do  is  to  withdraw  at  once  from  the  service, 
for  we  are  forbidden  to  fellowship  with  such. 
Some  martyrs  for  the  Gospel  are  needed  in 
America  to-day. 

How  TO  Destroy  the  New  Theology 

One  of  the  ways  to  help  defeat  Modernism  is 
to  get  the  Theological  Seminaries  and  Colleges 
and  Pulpits  to  take  up  afresh  a  study  of  the  early 
Church.  God  has  given  a  pattern  for  the 
churches  to-day  in  this  old  first  Pentecostal 
Church.  We  need  to  make  a  fresh,  deep,  earnest 
study  of  this  Church.  By  patterning  after  this 
Ideal  no  church  can  fail  in  its  mission.     Any 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    207 

church  that  stands  for  similar  things  is  standing 
four-square  to  every  wind  that  blows.  Science  and 
philosophy  could  not  affect  the  message  of  such 
a  church,  and  doubt  could  not  exist  in  its  mission- 
ary atmosphere.  Modern  schemes  of  social  re- 
demption, as  a  substitute  for  the  Gospel,  this 
church  would  spurn  away.  It  is  the  Spirit-filled 
church,  and  that  church  is  the  greatest  social  and 
upbuilding  power. 

Social  Redemption  a  Faece 

A  lifeless  church  resorting  to  the  gospel  of  so- 
called  social  redemption,  in  order  to  revive  its 
passing  life,  is  like  a  physician  resorting  to 
oxygen  to  save  his  dying  patient — it  is  a  case  of 
desperate  need.  But  the  message  of  Christ's  re- 
deeming love  can  destroy  the  disease  of  doubt 
and  false  doctrine.  Modernism  secularizes,  en- 
slaves, destroys,  but  true  Christianity  spiritual- 
izes, builds  up,  emancipates  and  ennobles  the 
Church.  Here  then  is  our  task,  to  save  the 
churches  to-day.  Only  the  Old  Theology  of 
Jesus  and  His  love  can  do  it.  If  the  orthodox 
churches  do  not  arouse  themselves  to  this  great 
service,  then  orthodoxy  also  will  become  an 
empty,  hollow  formality,  denying  the  power  of 
the  Gospel.  Like  the  old  church  of  Pergamus  our 
doom  ^dll  be  that  of  the  ancient  Modernists;  we 
shall  dwell  where  the  throne  of  Satan  stands. 
The  New  Unitarian  Theology  strangles  and  pros- 
trates the  Church,  making  it  a  helpless  thing, 


208     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

like  a  ship  that  has  been  broken  by  the  storm  and 
cast  a  wreck  upon  the  shore. 

Concluding  Thoughts 

We  have  endeavored  to  give  a  true  statement 
of  the  religious  crisis  in  the  religious  world,  or 
the  conflict  between  Modernism  and  Christianity. 
We  have  tried  to  be  fair,  to  present  facts,  to  ap- 
peal to  the  intelligence  of  men.  We  have  seen 
that  the  enemy  is  subtle,  unscrupulous  and  re- 
sourceful, that  he  is  marshaling  powerful  finan- 
cial forces  to  help  him  back  up  this  Satanic  prop- 
aganda. Not  in  the  history  of  Christianity  has 
such  a  responsibility  rested  upon  the  true  follow- 
ers of  Christ. 

One  of  the  greatest  dangers  lies  in  a  timid 
leadership  in  pulpit  and  pew.  Many  know  their 
duty  but  they  hesitate.  The  element  of  warning 
is  absent  in  their  ministry.  Men  are  feared  more 
than  God.  Many  have  submitted  to  the  tempta- 
tion to  be  on  the  popular  side.  But,  if  need  be, 
the  business  of  the  pulpit  is  to  be  unpopular,  and 
to  create  opinions,  convictions,  and  lead  men. 
Thought  to-day  appears  to  run  in  waves,  fad- 
waves,  fad-ideas,  and  oft-times  the  university  and 
pulpit  are  caught  in  these  currents  and  carried  on 
with  the  tide  of  public  opinion.  Some  think  that 
this  is  the  operation  of  evolution;  but  it  is  only 
the  latest  idea,  or  book,  or  theory,  or  hypothesis, 
or  speculative  hobby,  advocated  by  Professor  So 
and  So,  etc.     And  the  business  seems  to  have 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    209 

become  hypnotic.  Even  many  of  the  teachers  in 
the  preparatory  schools  have  been  inoculated  by 
this  germ  of  Modernism,  *^  broad  mindedness/' 
gas !  gas !  This  is  the  fatal  disease  that  has  slain 
Germany,  and  that  will  conquer  America,  unless 
we  lead  the  people  up  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  on- 
ward to  the  Word  of  God. 

Why  This  Book  Has  Been  Wkitten 

It  is  hoped  that  by  this  message  help  will  come 
to  the  churches  and  institutions  of  learning.  We 
may  not  understand  the  subtle  temptation  of  the 
modern  teacher,  but  we  believe  we  know  some- 
what of  his  problem.  We  do  not  ask  him  to 
abandon  research  and  reason,  but  to  see  that 
God's  Truth  is  higher  than  man's  reason,  and 
that  his  submission  to  God's  Revelation  as  given 
in  Jesus  Christ  will  result  in  the  highest  culture. 
We  plead  with  the  teacher  to  rise  up  to  the  heroic 
faith  of  the  fathers,  to  seek  for  his  own  life  the 
spiritual  baptism  that  gave  us  the  Christian 
Church — our  best — that  he  in  turn  may  enrich 
others  and  pass  on  the  legacy  to  coming  genera- 
tions. 

We  have  not,  by  any  means,  lost  faith  in  the 
teacher,  nor  in  the  noble  army  of  young  men  and 
women  in  our  institutions.  What  we  desire  to 
do  is  to  bring  to  them  the  great  vision  and  con- 
viction, the  joy  and  strength  of  a  living  faith,  and 
to  call  them  on  to  the  larger  and  greatest  tasks. 
We  want  to  see  the  University  return  to  Funda- 


210     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLB» 

mental  Things,  to  the  Great  Realities,  to  an 
Apostolic  Faith  and  Vision,  to  a  type  of  conse- 
cration to  God  and  His  Truth  that  shall  safe- 
guard our  education,  create  a  holy  brotherhood, 
save  and  transform  the  coming  generations,  and 
thus  radiate  a  light  upon  all  mankind. 

A  Living  Message 

This  is  a  living  message.  It  was  born  of  a 
great  conviction.  As  these  words  were  being 
written,  memories  of  the  past  came  in  like  a  flood, 
of  the  vast  army  of  Saints  and  Martyrs  who 
sealed  their  testimony  by  their  blood.  These 
seemed  near  to  help  and  cheer.  This,  therefore, 
has  been  a  sacred,  a  holy  service,  and  God  cannot 
send  it  forth  in  vain.  To  the  inspiration  of  His 
eternal  Truth,  and  the  Deity  of  His  own  beloved 
Son,  we  dedicate  this  volume. 

As  we  wrote  we  were  not  unmindful  of  the 
noble  men  and  women  who  are  the  financial  sup- 
porters of  our  institutions  at  home,  and  our  mis- 
sionary work  abroad — those  who  give  large 
treasure  to  the  cause  of  furthering  the  Church  of 
God.  Much  depends  on  them.  It  would  seem 
that  this  message  could  well  be  written  for  these 
alone.  They  have  their  great  and  subtle  tempta- 
tions. They  want  to  serve  their  generation  well; 
but  they  are  perplexed.  Where  shall  they  bestow 
the  Lord's  goods?  Many  of  these  noble  men  and 
women  have  seen  that  Modernism  is  undermining 
our  Christian  education  at  home  and  abroad,  and 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    211 

their  hearts  are  wrung  with  grief.  This  message 
will  help  all  such  to  understand  more  fully  their 
obligations.  They  will  now  see  that  they  cannot 
afford  to  support  those  churches,  missionary  so- 
cieties, and  educational  institutions  that,  in  any 
way,  defend  or  are  in  s^nnpathy  with  the  modern 
religious  apostasy.  They  know  now  that  the 
subtle  Unitarian  propaganda  of  the  New  The- 
ology will  destroy  our  work  abroad  as  at  home. 
And  further,  these  friends,  we  believe,  will  be 
helped  to  speak  out  more  boldly,  to  say  with  the 
Psalmist:  **Lo  I  have  not  refrained  my  lips,  0 
Lord,  thou  knowest.^'  (Ps.  40:9.)  These,  we 
trust,  will  make  a  firm  and  emphatic  protest,  and 
demand  that  the  teachers  and  preachers  of  Mod- 
ernism must  go  from  our  churches  and  educa- 
tional institutions. 

A  Task  of  Joy  and  Sorrow 

But  the  task  though  sacred  and  holy  has  been 
mixed  with  sorrow.  If  this  were  a  movement 
against  infidelity  outside  the  churches,  as  in  other 
days,  it  would  be  child's  play;  but  to  many  this 
will  appear  as  a  propaganda  against  the  institu- 
tions we  cherish.  The  enemies  of  Christianity 
being  intrenched  inside  the  churches  make  it  dif- 
ficult to  discuss  these  great  matters,  for  in  so 
doing  we  may  alienate  those  who  are  weak  and 
timid.  Many  well-meaning  people  are  blind  to 
the  danger  we  have  discussed.  These  weak  and 
ignorant  ones,  and  others  who  are  compromising 


212     MODERN  CONFLICT  OVER  THE  BIBLE 

with  this  evil,  have  not  learned  to  value  and  love 
the  Lord  as  highly  as  they  esteem  their  personal 
friends,  among  whom  are  some  of  the  advocates 
of  the  New  Theology.  It  is  possible  that  these 
friends,  if  they  are  not  converted  by  this  mes- 
sage, will  view  the  author  with  pity,  perchance 
indulge  in  hard,  unchristian  words,  declare  that 
he  is  a  meddler,  disturbing  factor,  and  be  induced 
to  oppose  his  influence,  as  a  certain  financial 
power  in  New  York  has  already  labored  to  do 
through  various  agencies  in  America.  It  matters 
not.  We  are  able  to  say  with  the  great  martyr, 
Paul,  **But  none  of  these  things  move  me."  We 
should  not  forget  that  the  Church  is  called  to 
suffer  with  Christ,  to  be  privileged  to  say,  **I  am 
crucified  with  Christ.''  The  cost  has  been 
counted;  but  it  is  as  nothing  to  having  the  sense 
of  the  approval  of  God.  This  sacrificial  labor  has 
been  joyous.  We  must  strike  this  enemy  of  God 
and  man  and  strike  him  hard.  And  we  must  strike 
him  again  and  again,  for  he  is  a  hydra-headed 
monster,  and  will  show  his  fangs  when  we 
thought  he  was  dead.  Remember  that  this  is  that 
**  spirit  of  anti-christ  which  has  come  into  the 
world''  (I  John  4:3)  and  the  goal  for  which 
they  are  striving  is  to  get  the  Church  universal 
to  reject  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God.  It  is 
to  this  end  that  they  are  waging  their  battle 
against  Bible  theology,  against  the  fact  of  sin  and 
regeneration,  and  against  ecclesiology  ^r\^  es- 
chatology. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  MESSAGE  ONE    213 

Men  and  women  of  the  modern  Church,  shall 
we  join  hands  with  Christ's  followers  in  all  lands 
in  opposition  to  this  subtle  evil?  Everything  we 
treasure  as  sacred  in  both  worlds  is  now  at  stake. 
A  higher,  nobler,  holier  service  than  this  we  can- 
not do.  The  Word  of  our  God  shall  standi 
Amen,  and  Amen! 

**He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith.  Surely 
I  come  quickly.  Even  so,  come  Lord  Jesus.  The 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all. 
Amen.''     (Rev.  22:20-2L) 

FAITH  OF  OUR  FATHERS 

Faith  of  our  fathers*  living  still 
In  spite  of  dungeon,  fire  and  sword; 
0  how  our  hearts  beat  high  with  joy, 
Whene'er  we  hear  that  glorious  word; 
Faith  of  our  fathers  I  holy  faith! 
We  will  be  true  to  Thee  till  death! 

Our  fathers  chained  in  prison  dark 
Were  still  in  heart  and  conscience  free, 
How  sweet  would  be  their  children's  fatei 
If  they  like  them  could  die  for  Thee. 
Faith  of  our  fathers  I  holy  faith! 
We  will  be  true  to  Thee  till  death! 

Faith  of  our  fathers!   We  will  love 
Both  friend  and  foe  in  all  our  strife; 
And  preach  Thee,  too,  as  love  knows  how 
By  kindly  words  and  virtuous  life; 
Faith  of  our  fathers!  holy  faith! 
We  will  be  true  to  Thee  till  death. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPtEB  PAGE 

I.    Excerpts  from  Text-books  and  Refer- 
ence Books    Used   In   Our   Modern 

Religious  Education 1 

(The  excerpts  refer  to  every  Biblical  doctrine  from 
demons  to  angels,  and  make  clear  what  is  taught 
in  our  religious  education.) 

II.  Correspondence  with  the  Presidents 
OF  OUR  Colleges,  Universities  and 
Theological  Seminaries      ....      21 

III.  Modernism  in  America 38 

IV.  Contributory   Causes    to    the    New 

Theology 63 

V.    The  Conflict  and  Its  Problem  .     .     .     103 

VI.    What  is  Modernism? 136 

VII.    The  Remedy — Education  and   Reform- 
ation        173 

VIII.    The  Remedy — Reformation    by    the 

Local  Churches 216 

IX.    The  Remedy — Organization    ....    231 


The  Crisis  in  Church  and  College 


By 

a  W.  McPHERSON 


SECOND  EDITION,  1920,  256  PAGES 
Volume  I. 


This  volume  is  handsomely  bound,  cloth,  gold  letters, 
large  readable  type. 

Dr.  James  M,  Gray,  Dean  of  the  Moody  Bible  Institute^ 
Chicago,  says  of  this  book  .* 

"Dear  Dr.  McPHERSON:  I  have  read  your  stirring  book, 
•The  Crisis  in  Church  and  College,*  and  I  shall  write  a  com- 
mendatory review  of  it  for  the  July  Number  of  The  Christian 
Workers'  Magazine." 

Yours  fraternally, 

James  M.  Gray. 

In  this  review  Dr.  Gray  says,  among  other  things,  "It  is 
the  only  book  of  its  kind." 

Dr,  Len  G,  Broughton  says: 

"My  Dear  Dr.  McPHERSON:  I  have  read  your  book 
and  I  consider  it  one  of  the  ablest  presentations  of  the  modern 
religious  questions  that  has  appeared  in  cur  day.  I  shall 
study  this  book  further." 

Yours  fraternally, 

Len  G.  Broughton. 


YONKERS    BOOK   COMPANY 

34   St.  Andrew's    Place 
YONKERS,  N.  Y. 


Date  Due 

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7 

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1 

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